Abstract: An electrically operated domestic appliance, in particular a kitchen appliance, includes a voice recognition device, which voice recognition device is designed to compare voice signals of a user with known control commands for operating the domestic appliance, and includes an activation device for activating the voice recognition device. The activation device has an optical detection device, wherein the activation device is designed to activate the voice recognition device in dependence on information captured by the optical detection device. A method operates the domestic appliance.

Abstract: An end-to-end mobile advertising system characterizes user behavior (e.g., location, interaction with advertisements on a mobile communication device, etc.) in order to select micro-targeted advertisements. A marketplace platform handles the formatting required for presentation suitable for mobile communication devices in accordance with negotiated tags for a desired audience (“reach”), for a suitable number of presentations (“frequency”) and for an effective duration (“time”) within a particular scheduled window. Effectiveness is gauged even in the instance of impression advertisements by monitoring user location and/or interaction with the communication device to see a change in behavior (e.g., whether goes to a location of a competitor or advertiser, calls the advertiser, clips the advertisement, etc.). This effectiveness is further tracked across applications and/or platforms to capture reach, frequency, and duration of a particular advertising campaign for a user.

Abstract: A system and methods for third-party access to a network-based system for providing location-based upcoming event information are described. The location-based upcoming event information may be accessed from the network-based system by a server-side web application implemented by a third party. The server-side web application may be configured to communicate with the network-based system that provides online marketplace and ticket fulfillment services and to generate a query based upon the location of a user and other event criteria. The server-side web application may communicate the query to the network-based system and, in response, receive location-based upcoming event information which may be displayed to a user as a list and/or information on a map. The location-based upcoming event information may comprise an aggregate of ticket inventory available from multiple online marketplaces providing the user with multiple purchasing options.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer programs for performing calculations of cost of entities are described. According to one embodiment, a method is described wherein one or more data sources are identified; information is gathered from those data sources, which is then used to calculate an adjusted cost of the entities. According to another embodiment, the information gathered from the data sources relates to dollar costs and other information pertaining to the entities, which is used to statistically model cost-related figures pertaining to the entities.

Abstract: A system controller (20, 100, 30, 40) comprises a receiver (20) for receiving data about a system (10, 11) to be controlled and for associating the received data with a time factor; a summarizer (100) for updating a set of summary bins, each of which covers a respective period of time, and each of which stores a summary of the received data having, a time factor which falls within the respective period of time covered by the summary bin; a processor (30) for, processing the summary bins, for example in order to categorize an unknown entity (5) (such as a human user) interacting with the system under control (10, 11) (via a user interface (11) forming part of the system under control) such as into an adult interested in football, etc., and a director (40) for issuing control instructions to the system to be controlled based on the results of the processor (30).

Abstract: Both content creators and content consumers can benefit by improving communication mechanisms that currently exist. For example, content creators can increase the appeal of content by leveraging the energy of fans, but it is often difficult to identify which content consumers are the best or top fans. However, such can be identified based on various metrics, for example, based on engagement and/or influence of the content consumer. Once the set of top fans is identified, content creators can interact, potentially exclusively, with the set of top fans, which can enhance the experience for all parties involved.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of methods and systems of incentivized advertising are presented. A content identifier identifying a digital content item, such as a song, is displayed on a user computing device. The digital content item is typically of the type available for a purchase price by the general public. A selection icon is provided in visual association with the content identifier. If the icon is selected by the user, an advertisement media item, such as a video advertisement, is presented on the user computing device. If the advertisement media item is presented for at least a requisite ad impression period, the digital content item is imparted to the user for free. Follow-up ad engagement views are typically presented to the user with a button to redeem the earned digital content item. Administrator and server elements are configured to facilitate performance of the method, and to optimize efficient use of advertiser's budget.

Abstract: System and methods for conducting wireless mobile business transactions on electronic hand-held device are disclosed. The electronic hand-held device comprises a dedicated communication component, a social media filter, and at least one functional identifier. The dedicated communication component communicates with at least one transceiver when the electronic hand-held device is located within a predetermined proximity of the at least one transceiver. The social media filter filters good or service offerings based on a user's desire. The at least one functional identifier is activatable for at least one good or service by a user when the communication is established between the electronic hand-held device and the at least one transceiver and a business transaction for the at least one good or service is initiated on the application server in a secure, user-authorized manner. The business transaction for the at least one good or service is authenticated by a social media provider.

Abstract: Systems and methods to provide for social media monitoring and employee social media monitoring are described herein. In one example, a system includes a database access engine configured to store a plurality of filtered social media postings; a scoring engine configured to analyze the filtered social media postings to determine a likelihood of a trigger event being associated with the filtered social media postings; a directory service engine, communicatively coupled to a directory service, configured to authenticate an employee and to determine the employee is authorized to respond to social media postings associated with the trigger event; and a social network access engine configured to post a response message from the employee to a social network in response to a first social media posting of the filtered social media postings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to business-to-business marketing organizations who participate in lead-generation activities via their company website. More particularly, the invention provides a target lead-generation system and method that targets the right businesses using real-time predictive and behavioral analytics and website traffic data and connects businesses to potential customers and suppliers to drive business revenue. Even more particularly, the invention provides a system and method for real-time searching and matching of data input into website registration forms by website visitors, provides for real-time cleansing and appending of attribute rich company demographic and firmographic data to the website form and to the marketing database. The resulting information is then available for use by other systems such as marketing automation systems and CRM systems.

Abstract: Various forms of information are utilized in a system and accompanying method for making inferences regarding the trustworthiness of a person performing an online transaction and deciding whether to allow the transaction to have material implications. More specifically, the information relates to the online browsing activity of a user and the online transaction being performed by the user. Further, information regarding certain probable characteristics of the user is determined based on a possible association between the user and one or more known entities. Based on the foregoing information, model attributes are derived and provided as input to a fraud determination model. Using this model and one or more of the attributes, a probability that the transaction is fraudulent is determined.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for joint distribution of content by multiple publishers. In one aspect, a method performed by one or more computers includes receiving data from a first content publisher, as well as accessing a publisher database that indicates information about other content publishers. A first set of candidate publishers is selected based on compatibility with characteristics specified by the first content publisher. A second set of candidate publishing partners is selected, as a subset of the first set of candidate publishing partners, based on compatibility of the first content publisher with characteristics specified by the candidate publishing partners. One of the content publishers in the second set of candidate publishing partners is selected, and a jointly published content item that references both the first content publisher and the selected publishing partner is provided for presentation to content recipients.

Abstract: Devices, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable media for a redemption header for merchant offers, such as online coupons, are provided. In some embodiments, an offers website may provide offers, such as online coupons, in a browser executing on a user device. When a user selects an online coupon, the browser is redirected to a merchant website associated with the online coupon and a coupon code value is copied to a clipboard. Additionally, a redemption header having the coupon code and instructions is added in the merchant webpage. A webpage element for the redemption header, such as an inline frame, is created in the merchant webpage and the redemption header is provided based on an offer identifier stored in a browser-accessible storage item such as a cookie.

Abstract: A service provision system comprises a first terminal, a service computer, and a user registration module. The first terminal includes an application management module to which second identification information is assigned, for managing the application to which first identification information is assigned, and an anonymous personal data transmission module for transmitting the anonymous personal data including the first identification information and the second identification information. The user registration module transmits user registration data including the second identification information and third identification information, in a case of inputting third identification information.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing interactive notifications for completing online transactions. In some embodiments, a processing device determines that completing an online transaction initiated at a mobile device requires fewer than a threshold number of operations. The processing device also generates an interface for obtaining input to initiate at least one subsequent operation for completing the online transaction. The interface is generated based on determining that completing the online transaction requires fewer than the threshold number of operations. The processing device configures the mobile device to display the interface and to receive the input using the interface for completing the transaction.

Abstract: Mapping and obscuring digital representations of a number of user accounts on a social network map includes identifying a primary user account from a number of user accounts of a social network, determining, based on metadata associated with the user accounts, a relationship for each of the user accounts relative to the primary user account, mapping, based on the relationship for each of the user accounts relative to the primary user account, a digital representation of each of the user accounts to a territory on a social network map, determining, based on the relationship for each of the user accounts relative to the primary user account, an obscurity level for each of the user accounts, and obscuring, based on the obscurity level, the territory associated with the digital representation of each of the user accounts on a social network map from the primary user account.

Abstract: Mapping and obscuring digital representations of a number of user accounts on a social network map includes identifying a primary user account from a number of user accounts of a social network, determining, based on metadata associated with the user accounts, a relationship for each of the user accounts relative to the primary user account, mapping, based on the relationship for each of the user accounts relative to the primary user account, a digital representation of each of the user accounts to a territory on a social network map, determining, based on the relationship for each of the user accounts relative to the primary user account, an obscurity level for each of the user accounts, and obscuring, based on the obscurity level, the territory associated with the digital representation of each of the user accounts on a social network map from the primary user account.

Abstract: Digital media playback instruction distribution devices, methods, and programs access a memory storing content data, the content data including website content for distribution to a remote terminal, the website content including a display area for displaying digital media. The devices, methods, and programs receive a request for the stored web content from the remote terminal, calculate a time period over which a user of the remote terminal is estimated to need to browse the website content when it is rendered on the remote terminal, and transmit the website content and a delay instruction to the remote terminal, the delay instruction instructing the remote terminal to delay playback of digital media displayed in the display area until after the calculated time period has elapsed since display of the website content on the remote terminal.

Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and/or provide natural language processing based on advertisements. In one implementation, an advertisement associated with a product or service may be provided for presentation to a user. A natural language utterance of the user may be received. The natural language utterance may be interpreted based on the advertisement and, responsive to the existence of a pronoun in the natural language utterance, a determination of whether the pronoun refers to one or more of the product or service or a provider of the product or service may be effectuated.

Abstract: Both content creators and content consumers can benefit by improving communication mechanisms that currently exist. For example, content creators can increase the appeal of content by leveraging the energy of fans, but it is often difficult to identify which content consumers are the best or top fans. However, such can be identified based on various metrics, for example, based on engagement and/or influence of the content consumer. Once the set of top fans is identified, content creators can interact, potentially exclusively, with the set of top fans, which can enhance the experience for all parties involved.

Abstract: Techniques for organizing and presenting deals/commercial offers received by users in emails are provided. Emails directed to a user that contain commercial offers for the user are determined. The determined emails are stored in a deal folder for the user. A deal newsletter is generated that at least summarizes commercial offers contained in at least a portion of the emails stored in the deal folder. The deal folder may be displayed to show the user the received deal emails. Furthermore, the deal newsletter may be displayed to the user to summarize the received deals for the user.

Abstract: Providing for network-based management of dynamic mobile coupons (DMCs) employed in mobile device-related commerce is described herein. Management can include mitigating processing load involved in processing dynamic characteristics of a set of DMCs, facilitating post-transaction evaluation of DMCs, or facilitating a virtual shopping experience in conjunction with redeeming DMCs in a mobile-commerce environment. Communicative association between a mobile device and network components can be implemented to leverage data collected by the mobile device with communication and processing capabilities of the network. Dynamic DMC states are determined from the collected data, which are implemented to facilitate the mobile-commerce. The disclosure provides an integrated mechanism for efficient utilization of DMCs to enhance user experience and satisfaction with mobile commerce.

Abstract: A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, reward positive agent behavior and performance by providing the agent with rewards and incentives. The rewards and incentives are provided to the agent by altering one or more aspects of the routing logic in the contact center.

Abstract: An e-commerce outsourcing system and method provides hosts with transparent, context-sensitive e-commerce supported pages. The look and feel of a target host is captured for future use. The host is provided with one or more links for inclusion within a page on the host website that correlates with a selected commerce object, which may be contextually related to material in the page. The commerce object can be a product, a product category, or a dynamic selection indicator. Upon activation of the provided link, a visitor computer is served with a page with the look and feel of the host website and with content based upon the associated commerce object. Where the commerce object is a dynamic selection indicator, the content is selected at the time of activation based upon an analysis of the page containing the activated link.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described that determine the promotion(s) offering the best monetary discount available to a customer. The methods and systems can be used at the time of checkout during a retail purchase or prior to checkout to inform the customer about the best deal that may be available based on alternative proposed purchases. One method can include defining a promotion combinability matrix that identifies combination logic of the available promotions. In addition, a priority set of the available promotions is established that identifies the priority in which the promotions will be applied. The promotion combinability matrix and the priority set are then used to determine the best monetary discount that is available to the customer.

Abstract: A system for serving localized advertisements receives data that defines an advertisement from an advertiser and determines a geographic location of the advertiser. The system also receives a request to serve an advertisement from a browser operated by a user and determines a geographic location associated with the user. The system communicates the advertisement to the browser if the geographic location associated with the user matches the geographic location of the advertiser.

Abstract: A purchase-transaction-settled online consumer referral and reward system and method using real-time specific merchant sales information is provided for the advertising publishing industry. The system provides a pay per transaction platform that allows advertising publishers to monetize interactive and/or broadcast media advertising by tracking and linking ad acceptance events to consummated consumer purchases.

Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for a communication device interface for merchant check-in and shopping notifications. A user may enter shopping preferences to a module of a communication device in order to receive notifications and alerts when items matching the shopping preferences are available with one or more merchants. A service provider may receive the shopping preferences with user attributes, such as a user location and/or account balance. The attributes may be determined using applications and/or modules of the communication device or through a check-in by the user at a location. The service provider may determine shopping notifications having purchase offers for the items from available merchants. The purchase offers may include offers to sell the items and discounts for the items. The shopping notifications may be displayed to the user using a user device interface, such as cells within an application or mobile device home screen.

Abstract: When detecting selection of a source application stored in a storage section in a user device, a controller outputs to the user device an advertisement link related to a destination application associated with the source. When the advertisement link is selected in the user device, the controller guides the user device to the destination application. The controller acquires completion state information on a mission in the destination application associated with the user ID of the user of the user device, and stores the completion state information in the storage section. When the completion state information meets a predetermined condition, the controller provides the completion state information to the source application in order to give an incentive to the user in the source application.

Abstract: Digital content can be sold by an original sales entity (OSE) to an affiliate sales entity (ASE) for playing of the content by the ASE. The ASE is permitted to transfer the content to another ASE, and sales credit for the secondary transfer is split between the transferring ASE and the OSE upon synchronization of a ledger of the recipient ASE with the system database.

Abstract: A user device receives consumer information from a consumer, where the consumer information includes preference information, demographic information, identity information, relationship information, and location information associated with the consumer. The user device provides the consumer information to a lifestyle application platform, and receives, from the lifestyle application platform, a consumer profile for the consumer based on the consumer information. The user device receives, from the lifestyle application platform, notifications, reports, and offers, associated with an enterprise and relevant to the consumer, based on the consumer profile, and provides the notifications, reports, and offers for display to the consumer.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a social media ecosystem cooperative marketplace. To participate in the social media ecosystem cooperative marketplace, a sharing discount percentage is requested from participating social media merchants. The sharing discount percentage is used to provide lower purchase prices for plural goods and services provided to social media purchasers in the social media ecosystem cooperative marketplace and to support the social media ecosystem cooperative marketplace itself on a global scale for social media purchasers and social media merchants. Social media purchasers are searched for with social media index values and with social commerce connections. Social media purchasers are paid to view advertising or complete surveys for the social media merchants. The social media ecosystem cooperative marketplace is provided on a cloud communications network for mobile and non-mobile devices.

Abstract: A cloud-based service provides incentives for users of devices such as game consoles, personal computers, smartphones, and the like to explicitly acknowledge product placements within media content by offering rewards to the users that may be obtained by performing certain user actions as the media content is being consumed and rendered on the device. The user actions may comprise clicking a button or performing a gesture to an input device, for example, at particular times in the media content presentation in which a branded product is shown, mentioned, or used. A client component on the device captures the user actions as signals which are sent to the service which compares the signals against known reward criteria. If reward criteria are met by the user actions, the service can provide either digital or physical rewards to the user.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a system includes a first device configured to transmit a request for temporary user rights to media content; and a server configured to: receive the request from the first device, transmit, to a second device having full user rights to the media content, a notification that the server will issue the temporary user rights to the media content to a user account authenticated on the first device, receive, from the second device, an approval to issue the temporary user rights to the media content to the user account authenticated on the first device, issue the temporary user rights to the user account authenticated on the first device, and temporarily revoke the full user rights to the media content from a user account authenticated on the second device.

Abstract: A method is provided for a method of purchasing goods online, which allows end users to receive money in return for browsing the internet and making purchases. According to the features of the invention, the end user enters a profile into YOUniverse, which is uploaded to the database. The user then logs in to search for items and the advertisement search results are specific to the end user's profile. The user controls the amount of information in their profile; however, more information yields better advertisement results and more money.

Abstract: A method and data processing system provide offers for discounted goods or services. The method includes generating a list of offers for discounted goods or services. The method includes generating an identification of at least one of a current number of selections of an offer or a number of remaining selections available for the offer. The method includes sending, for a selection of the offer by a user, at least a unique identifier for the offer to the user without requesting payment from the user for the selection of the offer and updating the current number of selections or the number of remaining selections available. The method includes sending a notification of the selection and the unique identifier for the selected offer to a seller of the discounted goods or services. Additionally, the method includes requesting payment from the seller for the selection of the offer by the user.

Abstract: The system and method for issuing an online reward disclosed provides a direct way to specifically reward a user for their actions on the internet. For a campaign according to the system and method, a unique code is provided, which could, for example, be a hashtag, and a search of pre-defined internet websites is performed for the unique code. Where the unique code is found on one or more of the pre-defined internet websites, the user associated with that code is validated by checking if the user is in a list of pre-defined users and, if they are approved, a reward is issued to the user.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for incorporating advertisements into a mobile application for computerized systems, and in particular, mobile devices. In one embodiment of the invention, the system comprises an entertaining game application, a tool application, or a utility application that features various advertised goods or services, wherein the goods or services may be won and redeemed for an actual equivalent at participating businesses. Alternatively, cash or other prizes may be won or redeemed. In another embodiment, the method provides revenue to mobile application developers based on the inclusion of advertised products or services within the mobile applications, as well as on the number of times an advertisement is displayed. Consumers are incentivized to use the mobile application and engage advertisements because they are rewarded with goods, services, cash, or other prizes from participating businesses.

Abstract: An example system is configured to compile behavioral data describing past actions including products viewed and purchases made by users while visiting applications hosted by servers accessible by the users via a computer network; segment the behavioral data into clusters of behavior factors according to statistically related actions of the users; compile present user data describing a current action and a geo-location of a user while visiting a merchant application hosted by a server coupled to the computer network and accessible by the user; determine a geo-location of the mobile device of the user; while the user is still using the merchant application, compute a match; generate based on the match targeted information influenced by the geo-location of the user; and transmit the targeted information to the mobile device of the user for display prior to the user leaving the merchant application.

Abstract: An information processing device according to one embodiment includes a monitoring unit and a providing unit. The monitoring unit detects that a user operates a link to a page of a second shop different from a first shop and accesses to the page of the second shop and then identifies the first shop. The link is on a page of the first shop provided through a network. The link contains information for identifying the first shop and information for identifying the second shop. The providing unit provides the user with information related to a benefit available in the first shop.

Abstract: A method and system for the electronic distribution of product redemption coupons to remote personal computers located at users' homes are disclosed. A centrally located repository, such as an online service provider or web site on the Internet, stores packages of coupon data for downloading on demand to the user's computer. A coupon generated by the system and method of the present invention comprises an encoded area that consists essentially of a unique Coupon Id. The unique Coupon Id is also recorded in a database comprising a plurality of data tables. At least one of the data tables associates each Coupon Id with one or more of a Promotion Id and a Consumer Id. Preferably, the Print Id is also associated in a data table with a Session Id and information regarding the date/time of printing. The Ids other than the Coupon Id may not be printed on the coupon.

Abstract: A user interface that requests offer information for an offer provided by a vendor is provided to the vendor's computing device. The offer information is received from the vendor's computing device where the offer information includes a vendor privacy setting that indicates whether the offer is private. A request is received from a consumer's computing device for available offers and a user interface containing the offer is provided to the consumer's computing device. An indication that the consumer selected the offer is received and the offer and the vendor privacy setting are stored.

Abstract: A system for distributing promotional certificates includes a system server and a user device. The system server has a processor and a memory. The memory is in communication with the processor and has at least one database embodied thereon. The database defines a plurality of users, a plurality of participating businesses, and a plurality of promotional certificates associated with the participating businesses. The processor is configured to associate in the memory each of the users with either an individual one of the participating businesses or a provider of the system server. The user device is associated with one of the users, and is in communication with the system server. The user device has a software application that is configured to present the promotional certificates for redemption at the participating businesses.

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer readable media, and apparatuses for electronically clipping coupons are presented. In one aspect, a user request to electronically clip a vendor coupon may be received at a user device, where the vendor may be different from a supplier of the content. Account information associated with the user may be identified. Thereafter, information identifying the electronically clipped coupon and the account information may be transmitted to the vendor. The vendor subsequently may allow the user to redeem the clipped coupon the next time that the user visits the vendor and presents matching account information to the vendor.

Abstract: A facility for coordinating an online discussion is described. The facility receives an indication that a user has captured a machine-readable symbol encoding an identifier that identifies a particular online discussion. In response, the facility incorporates into an online forum that hosts this online discussion an indication that this user captured a symbol encoding an identifier that identifies this online discussion. Having captured the machine-readable symbol, the user may interact with the content associated with the identifier encoded in the machine-readable symbol. On capturing the machine-readable symbol, an advertisement related to the content associated with the identifier encoded in the machine-readable symbol may be displayed to the user.

Abstract: A method includes accessing, by a server computer, a plurality of electronic mail messages; identifying, based on information contained in each electronic mail message, one or more actions that can be taken with respect to each electronic mail message; and outputting, for display at a client computing device, an electronic mail interface. The electronic mail interface includes a message preview element for each electronic mail message. Each message preview element includes an interface element for causing performance of the action for each electronic mail message.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for redeeming virtual coupons by associating the coupons with a consumer and a payment system associated with the consumer. In some embodiments, the method includes distributing the enabled promotional offers, from one or more source sites, via the electronic contact addresses for the plurality of consumers, such that the promotional offers can be electronically accepted by at least some of the particular consumers with whom they are identified without redeeming the accepted offers. The method further includes electronically receiving a redemption of the promotional offer by means of the consumer's presentment of the associated payment system for purchasing the subject matter of the accepted promotional offer.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for semi-opaque sales with bundles of items. An example bundle can include hotel lodging and a bonus service, status, or item associated with that hotel. An system can identify a first bundle of a first base and bonus item, and a second bundle of a second base and bonus item. The system can present a semi-opaque offer comprising the first bundle, the second bundle, and a discount price, wherein the semi-opaque offer does not identify which of the first bundle and the second bundle will be sold at the discount price to the user upon acceptance of the semi-opaque offer, and wherein the discount price is a full price of the first base item. After receiving acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user, the system can disclose that the user has purchased the first bundle at the discount price.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the administration of rebates in different geographic locations and optimization of rebate processing. In an embodiment, a rebate processing device can detect a location of a consumer, and based on the location generate a rebate form in a language which corresponds to the location or preference of the consumer. The generated rebate form can include a mailing address to mail the form for processing, which may based on the location of the consumer and a rebate identifier to identify the rebate to transact. A rebate center device can receive completed rebate forms, extract rebate identifiers from the completed rebate forms, and send the extracted rebate identifiers to the rebate processing device to expedite processing. Rebate processing device can verify the rebate identifiers are not fraudulent and generate a payment for the validated rebate identifiers based on the location of the consumer.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for activity based incentives. A tracking module may be configured to monitor a user's participation in a physical activity. A data module may be configured to collect activity data in response to monitoring the user's participation in the physical activity. An incentive module may be configured to present one or more retail incentives to the user based on the activity data.