Advertisement Patents (Class 705/14.4)
  • Publication number: 20140358696
    Abstract: An advertisement system which uses a retailer inventory is described, for example, to dynamically generate advertisements with data from the retailer inventory. In various examples product data from a retailer inventory such as numbers of remaining units of a product, is available to an advertising server by querying a retailer inventory. In various examples a retailer is able to create an advertisement design for a selling period; the design is used to dynamically generate advertisements in response to advertisement impression requests from information retrieval systems, dedicated sales sites, and other entities. In various examples, prices, minimal bids and other data is calculated using data retrieved from a retailer inventory and input to advertisements generated for display at end user devices. In an example group buying is facilitated by generating advertisements stating a current number of participants out of a target number of participants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Karen Master Ben-Dor, Kfir Karmon, Yagil Engel
  • Publication number: 20140358649
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system, method, and device for providing additional services when charging an electric vehicle. The system, method, and device download and output content and advertising data through a secondary battery while charging a battery of the electric vehicle. A secondary battery charging device receives content and advertising data from a content providing device and an advertising providing device, respectively, while charging the battery of the electric vehicle, and transmits the received content and advertising data to a vehicle managing device. The vehicle managing device receives the content and advertising data from the secondary battery device, executes the content according to a user's input, and outputs the advertising data while executing the content. The vehicle managing device may transmit information regarding the number of outputs of the advertising data to the advertising providing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventor: Dae Lim Son
  • Patent number: 8904277
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for creating a page including content includes the steps of inserting, with a computing device, one or more placeholders in the page, requesting, with a computing device, parameters, receiving, with a computing device, meta data in response to the step of requesting parameters, creating, with a computing device, frames in the page based on the meta data at positions corresponding to the placeholders, requesting, with a computing device, content, receiving, with a computing device, content in response to the request for content, and placing the content in the frames for display on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: CBS Interactive Inc.
    Inventors: Monica Kroger, Eric Harper
  • Patent number: 8904448
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to receive from a media communication system metadata describing one or more marketable items depicted in a media program supplied by the media communication system, present images of the media program at a media presentation device without highlighting the one or more marketable items, present an icon at least at one of a remote controller managing operations of the media processor or the media presentation device to indicate a presence of the one or more marketable items in one or more of the images presented at the media presentation device, detect a selection of the icon, and highlight the one or more marketable items. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Scott White
  • Patent number: 8903736
    Abstract: A system for serving advertisements determines the frequency of occurrence for each parameter of a plurality of parameters associated with a plurality of search queries. The plurality of parameters are associated with one or more advertisements. The system stores at least some parameters to a first storage based on the frequency of occurrence of the parameters. The system stores the other parameters to a second storage that has a higher latency than the first storage. When serving advertisements, the system ranks advertisements for delivery based on the parameters stored in the first storage device and the second storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Arun Kejariwal, Amir Behroozi, Sapan Panigrahi
  • Patent number: 8903073
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a system for generating an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) database, the system comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory comprising a list of telephone numbers associated with one or more destinations implementing IVR menus, wherein the one or more destinations are grouped based on a plurality of categories of the IVR menus. Further the memory includes instructions executable by said processor for automatically communicating with the one of more destinations, and receiving at least one customization record from said at least one destination to store in the IVR database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Inventors: Zvi Or-Bach, Tal Lavian
  • Patent number: 8904428
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for selecting an advertisement for play on a specified device for one or more users. Each of the users has a defined relationship with the specified device, and has an information description stored on a mobile communications device. In one embodiment, the method comprises transmitting the respective information description of each of one or more users from the user's communications device to a provider server. The server analyzes one or more information descriptions to identify an advertisement for playing on the specified device. The specified device, in one embodiment, is a television. In an embodiment, advertisements are displayed based on common purchase profiles and common purchase plans among different people. The purchase plans may be sent to the television when the users are in a defined area or come within a given distance of the television.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Publication number: 20140351028
    Abstract: A system and method for media and commerce management is disclosed herein. The system includes a user interface, a customer overview module accessible through the user interface and configured to allow a user to manage customers, a search module accessible through the user interface and configured to allow the user to search for one or more of orders, customers, contacts, activities, leads campaigns, and opportunities, an activities module accessible through the user interface and configured to allow the user to manage tasks, an opportunities module accessible through the user interface and configured to allow the user to track potential opportunities for sales, a campaign module accessible through the user interface and configured to allow the user to create and manage plans to generate sales, and a leads module accessible through the user interface and configured to allow the user to manage potential customers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventor: Scott William Killoh
  • Patent number: 8898579
    Abstract: A server receives an interaction history comprising a set of one-to-one interactions between a first user and other users. The server determines an interaction score for each of the interactions, wherein each interaction score is based on a type of the respective one-to-one interaction and an age of the respective one-to-one interaction. The server then determines a friend rank for each of the other users based on the interaction history, wherein the friend rank indicates a measure of a degree of influence the other users have over the first user and stores the friend rank for each of the other users. The server then receives, from a client, a request for an advertisement to display to the first user, selects one of the other users having a friend rank satisfying a predetermined threshold, and transmits, to the client, an advertisement portraying the selected additional user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: LivingSocial, Inc.
    Inventors: Sourabh Niyogi, David Gentzel
  • Patent number: 8898255
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a network based digital signage apparatus and a method for causing the digital signage apparatus to retrieve content from a remote server, for use in displaying content thereon. By utilizing a computer network to cause a digital signage device to remotely retrieve and store and/or display content, the instant invention potentially offers significant cost savings over the use of traditional digital signage systems that require separate media player and controller hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: DongWook Kim, Agnihotri Tanmay, Ron Diaz
  • Patent number: 8897707
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems are described for bumping a mobile device, such as a smart phone, against a fixed poster board display at a store to initiate a download of coupons, advertisements, or other benefits to the mobile device. Products can be rated by a user's up/down bump or other bump patterns. Using accelerometer-based inertial measurements, multiple users can control multiple mouse cursors on a large display with their mobile devices in order to select information to be downloaded to their mobile devices. The multiple users can bump the display in order to select their items simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Patrick Faith, Mark Carlson, Ayman Hammad
  • Patent number: 8892756
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a method of publishing campaign metadata from a database to a plurality of channel systems, the method includes: querying the database to select campaign metadata ready for publishing to a target channel system; selecting the target channel system from a plurality of channel systems based on an target indicating attribute of the campaign metadata; determining whether the target channel system has a SOAP enabled webservice API or whether the target channel system only accepts HTTP posts; if the target channel system has a SOAP enabled webservice API, packaging the campaign metadata as an XML message object; if the target channel system only accepts HTTP posts, packaging the campaign metadata as an HTML request; and transferring the packaged campaign metadata to the target channel system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Jedediah H. Paulson
  • Patent number: 8892461
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatuses for authenticating a user of a mobile device are disclosed. One method includes tracking a plurality of locations of the mobile device, tracking motion behavior of the mobile device, and generating a user profile for the user over a period of time based on the tracked plurality of locations and the tracked motion behavior. A present user of the mobile device is authenticated based on a comparison of the user profile with a present user profile of the present user, wherein the present user profile comprises recent location information of the mobile device and recent motion behavior of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Alohar Mobile Inc.
    Inventors: Alvin Lau, Sam Song Liang, Jun Yang
  • Publication number: 20140337147
    Abstract: A video advertisement is presented to a user in a teaser video window overlaying a content page. When the user interacts with the video advertisement in the teaser video window, the teaser video window is expanded to a full-size video window over a predetermined amount of time. The video expansion is substantially smooth and the video continues to play in the window during the expansion. The full-size video window may be accompanied by a mini-site overlaying the content page, and providing additional information to the user. If the user interacts with the content page, the full size video window is reduced in size to the teaser video window and the user may interact with the content page.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Exponential Interactive, Inc
    Inventors: Dilip DaSilva, Niket Arora, Madhukar Sharma
  • Patent number: 8886707
    Abstract: Syndication data feed items, corresponding to hosted content, are provided to a user program. A resource locator to hosted content to which a syndication data feed item corresponds is processed, including adjusting the resource locator to associate the resource locator with an intervention service with regard to the syndication data feed item. The processed syndication data feed items are provided to the user program. In addition, requests are processed to view hosted content corresponding to syndication data feed items. An intervention service receives a request from a user program to view hosted content to which a syndication data feed item corresponds, including a resource locator to the host that has been adjusted in the syndication data feed item to associate the resource locator with an intervention service. Intervention processing is performed, including causing interaction with the host of the requested content such that the host content is caused to be displayed at a user location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan James Trevor, Daniel Joseph Raffel, Pasha Sadri, Edward Ho
  • Patent number: 8887188
    Abstract: A system and methods to calculate ratings of television advertisements based on viewing data and to assess the effectiveness of the advertisements. In some embodiments, consumer viewing data is consolidated across a plurality of disparate channels through which content and advertisements are presented to viewers. Some of the channels may provide information directly to the system about which advertisements were presented to viewers. In some embodiments, the system may instead determine whether an advertisement was likely viewed based on scheduling data associated with the presentation of content and advertisements. The system may provide additional algorithms for rating advertisements based on the consolidated information. That is, the system may allow performance of advertisements to be compared against other advertisements across a desired population of viewers. Embodiments may further provide information for a graphical user interface to assess the ratings and results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Rentrak Corporation
    Inventors: Kim Hadfield, Amir Yazdani, Michael Vinson
  • Patent number: 8886536
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and track advertisement interactions in voice recognition contexts. In particular, in response to an input device receiving an utterance, a conversational language processor may select and deliver one or more advertisements targeted to a user that spoke the utterance based on cognitive models associated with the user, various users having similar characteristics to the user, an environment in which the user spoke the utterance, or other criteria. Further, subsequent interaction with the targeted advertisements may be tracked to build and refine the cognitive models and thereby enhance the information used to deliver targeted advertisements in response to subsequent utterances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Mike Kennwick
  • Patent number: 8886555
    Abstract: This description provides tools and techniques for managing advertising services for mobile devices and users. These tools may provide methods that include establishing advertising databases for storing representations of geographic areas. These methods may include receiving bids from advertisers, with these bids referencing keywords and the geographic areas. The advertisers specified in the bids may be associated with the keywords and geographic areas specified in the bids, such that when a user of a mobile communications device activates the keyword within a geographic area, the mobile device received advertising information associated with the advertiser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Michael L. Bishop
  • Patent number: 8881033
    Abstract: An application displaying primary content, such as a webpage, may include unused space. The unused space may exist within the application displaying the primary content (e.g., within the browser window) or on other portions of the display (e.g., outside of the browser window). The unused space is identified and leveraged to display secondary content on the client display along with the primary content. The secondary content may be adaptable to conform to different sizes and/or configurations of the unused space. The secondary content may be updated as the user interacts with elements on the client display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Leftsnrights, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolai Mentchoukov, James Warren Rowan
  • Patent number: 8874792
    Abstract: The present disclosure related to constructing invitational content. A content delivery system is provided managing a campaign using a content bundle identifying content blocks and rules for assembling the content blocks into items of invitational content. Based on the response of users to the invitational content, the invitational content to vary and evolve over time by modifying of the content bundle according to the user responses. An analysis of the responses can be performed to determine how the content bundle should be modified for users, user terminals, and other conditions. The content bundle can also specify a set of modification rules that can be used to automatically select how to modify the content bundle based on the user responses. In some cases, a content bundle can be associated with each unit of the content delivery system or each portal serviced by the content delivery system and managed separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mehul K. Sanghavi, Michael Froimowitz Greenzeiger
  • Patent number: 8874468
    Abstract: Potential content item slots (e.g., ad slots) in a media (e.g., video, audio, or both) are identified, and each content item slot is associated with a weight that indicates a degree of potential disruption to a flow of the media when a content item (e.g., ad) is inserted in the content item slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Ullas Gargi
  • Patent number: 8874652
    Abstract: Panel and census data representing accesses by sets of users with multiple types of media platforms to media content associated with multiple media entities is accessed. An overlap in the accessed panel data that represents users who have accessed media content associated with the media entity with more than one of the multiple types of media platforms is determined. Based on the accessed panel data, the determined overlap in the accessed panel data, and the accessed census data, an overlap function that estimates an overlap in the accessed census data is derived. The derived overlap function is applied to census data associated with a media entity to estimate an overlap in the census data associated with the media entity. The overlap in the census data represents users who have accessed media content associated with the media entity with more than one of the multiple types of media platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: comScore, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Eugene Pecjak, Ramzi Joseph Nasr, Christopher Shea Haarstick, Ying Li
  • Patent number: 8875171
    Abstract: Method and system of inserting commercials or program within content feeds. The commercials may be inserted in an optimized manner on a host device so as to permit device level commercial insertion. Instructions or other information may be pre-loaded for a number of insertion opportunities so that processing demands on the host device at the time of insertion can be limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank Sandoval
  • Patent number: 8874575
    Abstract: Audio fingerprinting and other media matching technologies can be used to identify media, such as movies, television shows, and radio broadcasts. A user device can record image, audio, and/or video information and upload information to a matching service that is able to use matching technology to identify the media and provide supplemental content or information to the user. The user then can share this information with other users, such as by uploading to a social networking site or passing the information to peers on a peer network as part of a container. Users can have the ability to add tagged content, provide comments and ratings, and otherwise interact based at least in part upon the tagged media content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Diminic S. Mallinson
  • Patent number: 8874469
    Abstract: Techniques for dynamically and seamlessly inserting secondary content via a second video pipeline into the playing of principal content over a first video pipeline are disclosed herein. One aspect of the techniques may involve the file containing the principal content be contiguous instead of being in a plurality of separate sections. The secondary content is able to be pre-processed on the second video pipeline while the principal content is played over the first video pipeline. This enables the secondary content to be available instantaneously upon the pausing of the principal content at various designated points therein. Playing of the principal content may likewise be instantaneous upon completion of the time period for the specified pausing thereof. Since the file containing the principal content is preferably contiguous, rewinding the principal content to a previous point does not require reloading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Derek H. Smith, Simon P. Atwell
  • Patent number: 8868108
    Abstract: Server access is provided to a wireless apparatus via a wireless network. A message is received containing a service request. The service and sever capable of servicing the service request is determined. The service is requested from the server and a reply is received. The reply is formatted for communication over the wireless network and sent. Location dependent information may also be requested with a wireless apparatus including a global positioning device and a two-way wireless communication device. Such an apparatus can “know” its global location and therefore can request information dependent on that location. The apparatus receives signals from a global positioning system and calculates a location. The calculated location is included in the service request sent over the wireless network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Thomas W. Rehkopf
  • Patent number: 8868447
    Abstract: A system aggregates data collected from independently owned and controlled networked sensors and controls into content channels. The system allows for anonymous subscription to content channels and sensor data by channel client, other sensor owners, and service providers who bid for the right to advertise services to content channel clients based on sensor data patterns for which the service providers can provide particular insight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Charlotte Intellectual Properties, LLC
    Inventor: James Richard Terrell, II
  • Patent number: 8862521
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide systems, devices, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and computer-executable methods for managing publication of online advertising. In exemplary embodiments, computer-based publication techniques may include, but is not limited to, automatically determining whether the content of a particular web page article is suitable or unsuitable for accompaniment with one or more advertisements, automatically determining whether an advertisement is suitable or unsuitable for publication on a web page associated with a web page article, and automatically determining a category that may be used to classify the content of a web page article in order to select one or more categories of advertisements suitable for accompaniment with the web page article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Revesz
  • Patent number: 8862502
    Abstract: This object is aimed to provide an advertisement providing system, etc. that defines a web API that contributes to the creation of an advertisement attached webpage for making it possible to distribute referral fees of the advertisement. A system carries out processing while taking a session ID generated by an advertisement intermediary service (105) among a website (103), a web API (104) and the advertisement intermediary service (105), wherein the website (103) creates a webpage including a result of processing by the web API (104), a link for acquiring a resource of advertisement information, and a link having as a parameter a session ID which is called on selection of an advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Takano, Ryoichi Ueda, Go Kojima
  • Patent number: 8862499
    Abstract: This invention provides an information distribution system comprising an image data processing device (11), a server (12), and a portable telephone unit (15 having image data acquisition means for acquiring image data with a destination address attached thereto and display means for displaying the image data, wherein the image data is distributed from the image data processing device (11) to the portable telephone unit (15), and advertisement information based on user information is extracted from an advertisement information storage unit (29) and appended to image/text data by an advertisement information appending unit (30) provided in the server 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mihoko Kamei, Kimio Maki, Shiro Miyagi
  • Publication number: 20140304079
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of providing contents requested by a user and an advertisement through an application by a contents providing apparatus, including: exposing the contents through a user terminal; stopping the exposed contents at a specific time set based on log-in information of the user, and exposing one or more advertisements; and exposing the stopped contents through the user terminal again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventor: Ji Eun LEE
  • Publication number: 20140304047
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable storage medium configured to link electronic voucher offers with complementary voucher offers and consolidate redemption of electronic vouchers with electronic payments into a single transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Brian Maw, Jennifer Dogin
  • Patent number: 8856027
    Abstract: A system and method for slow ad detection is provided. An ad tool receives information including round trip times to load web pages, in which each web page is loaded with at least one ad. Additionally, the ad tools calculates, for each ad, a mean round trip time to load each web page loaded with the respective ad. The ad tool then determines a predetermined number of the ads with highest mean round trip to load each of the web pages with the ad. Further, the ad tool enables testing of each of the predetermined number of ads to determine the round trip load time of each of the predetermined number of ads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventor: Sandeep Khunteta
  • Patent number: 8856028
    Abstract: An advertisement impression distribution system is programmed to generate an allocation plan for serving a number of advertisement impressions changeable as a result of one or more events, the allocation plan to allocate a first portion of advertisement impressions to satisfy guaranteed demand and a second portion of advertisement impressions to satisfy non-guaranteed demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Jian Yang, Jianchang Mao
  • Publication number: 20140297376
    Abstract: A data modification device; said device including computer implemented instructions for automatically modifying raw data input from a user of said device into criteria bound output; said device including an input receiving Aggregator adapted to interrogate a selection of databases; said Aggregator acting to modify said raw data input with reference to one or more relevant ones of said selection of databases; said device providing to said user output conforming to legal or other appropriate criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventor: Tanya Robertson
  • Patent number: 8849701
    Abstract: In a video game session supporting a set of gamers participating in the game from a variety of different locations, an opportunity to provide an advertisement is presented. The content of the advertisement is chosen based upon specific criteria such as data relating to one of the gamers, for example, the location of the gamer. The chosen content of the advertisement is provided within an advertising spot of the video game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Willis, Dhananjay Godse, Gordon Freedman
  • Patent number: 8849801
    Abstract: Provided is a search system and method for performing a search during execution of an application in a mobile terminal. The search method may include executing an application, without terminating the application, by including a search window on a part of an execution screen of the application. The system and method also include incorporating a library into an application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: NHN Corporation
    Inventor: Eun-Sok Ju
  • Patent number: 8850365
    Abstract: A method and handheld electronic device for triggering the display of content on a display screen are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of triggering the display of content on a display screen of a handheld electronic device, the method comprising: monitoring for the occurrence of trigger conditions comprising one or more of: inputs to change an operational mode of the handheld electronic device, changes in orientation of the handheld electronic device, or changes in a screen orientation of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on the display screen; and reproducing content on the handheld electronic device in response to detection of one of the trigger conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Joel Cumming
  • Patent number: 8849700
    Abstract: An information distribution system including an image data processing device, a server, and a portable telephone unit having an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data with a destination address attached thereto and a display unit that displays the image data. The image data is distributed from the image data processing device to the portable telephone unit, and advertisement information based on user information is extracted from an advertisement information storage unit and appended to image/text data by an advertisement information appending unit provided in the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mihoko Kamei, Kimio Maki, Shiro Miyagi
  • Patent number: 8849982
    Abstract: In an information retrieval system, a system and method for presentation of information and/or resources that are pertinent to an individual's interests or task. Guiding individuals to places of interest on a network where information is stored. Displaying or otherwise presenting useful information to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Google, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Wolfe
  • Patent number: 8850473
    Abstract: Assets of broadcast network content are targeted to network users of interest based on location information regarding user equipment devices. Asset providers can specify location targeting criteria via a graphical user interface displaying mapping information. This location targeting criteria can then be compared to location information regarding user equipment devices so that assets are delivered to appropriate devices. The comparison of the location targeting criteria to the device location information can be performed at the user equipment devices or at another location. In the latter case, the assets can be addressed to appropriate user equipment devices or appropriate user equipment devices can be directed to select the asset, which is broadcast via the network. In this manner, assets can be targeted to individual network users on a basis independent of network topology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Invidi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick Sheehan, Bruce J. Anderson, Daniel C. Wilson
  • Patent number: 8850328
    Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for dynamically profiling users for incentivized targeting of multimedia content to the users in a networked environment is provided. A server creates an advertiser network comprising advertisers and member websites, and creates a user network of users. The advertisers submit the multimedia content, advertising information, and targeting criteria to the server. The server and one or more publisher websites acquire marketing data from the users for creating dynamic user profiles for the users. The server and/or the publisher websites target the multimedia content to the users based on the created dynamic user profiles. The server and/or a client device of each of the users confirm viewing of the multimedia content using a challenge, random in content. The server and/or the publisher websites compensate the users by crediting the users with items of value based on confirmation of the viewing of the multimedia content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Genesismedia LLC
    Inventors: Richard Adam Smullen, Laurent Daniel Alhadeff, Jeremy Abraham Sterns
  • Patent number: 8849509
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote application. The system also includes one or more outputs, controllable by the processor. The processor is configured to receive an advertisement for playback on at least one output, determine the suitability of the received advertisement for playback, permit or deny advertisement playback based on the suitability of the advertisement, and provide access to the at least one output upon permitting advertisement playback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yimin Liu, Perry Robinson MacNeille, Julius Marchwicki, Oleg Yurievitch Gusikhin, Joseph Carl Beiser
  • Patent number: 8849699
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes a system, method, and article of manufacture for targeting ad impressions. A list of customer records may be transmitted to a service provider system that identifies a matched customer and installs a cookie on a web client associated with the matched customer. The system may further receive a campaign request from a merchant and transmit the campaign request to the service provider system which may add a flag to the cookie based on the campaign request as well as instruct a media buyer system to bid on an ad impression for the matched customer based on the flag. The system may further receive an expenditure associated with the matched customer who received the ad impression and compare the expenditure to an expenditure associated with a customer who did not receive targeted ad impression but fits parameters associated with the campaign request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Sastry VSM Durvasula, Lucas Saunders Gebb, Rachna R. Govani, Priyadarshini Koul, Sarah Claire Peltier, Stephanie Schultz, Sripriya V. Tiku
  • Patent number: 8844800
    Abstract: In a computer-implemented review method, a machine-readable representation that encodes an identification code associated with a ratable entity is decoded to obtain the identification code. The identification code is submitted to a central computer system, and a ratings form that can be used for providing a review of the ratable entity is received from the central computer system. A review of the ratable entity is provided to the central computer system using the review form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Arnaud Sahuguet
  • Publication number: 20140289043
    Abstract: An online ad provisioning system couples persuasive media items (ads) with an established viewership/recipient set by first identifying a popularity, or number of recipients of a requested media item, and subsequently associating the media item with an advertisement (banner, window, video segment) expecting the established viewership. While conventional advertising seeks to divert the readers attention before their eyes are on the page, the system identifies and targets recipients after their eyes are on the page (or screen, window, etc.). Such an association allows an advertiser to specify, for example, to associate an ad (persuasive media item) with the most popular web page, or to run a commercial in a video stream only if at least a predetermined number of viewers are receiving the stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Bauermeister, Johan F. Habermann
  • Patent number: 8843393
    Abstract: A method and system for displaying targeted advertisements. The method includes executing a monitoring application on a mobile device, the mobile device configured with a sensor. The method includes detecting a start of a user purchase decision making process via a sensor reading, wherein the sensor reading includes at least one of: a search query, a user command for the mobile device, a user geographical location, a local time, a user phone call, a user local environment, and a user behavior history. The method includes selecting a relevant ad based on the start of the user purchase decision making process and the sensor reading. The method includes displaying the selected ad to the user during the user purchase decision making process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: DoApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Wade Beavers, David Borrillo, Joseph Sriver
  • Publication number: 20140278777
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing an automated virtualized signal marketplace or exchange for signals from distributed data sources for use in advertising. Systems and methods to automatically discover and recommend which of the signals controlled by multiple entities may be most effective toward a given objective associated with advertising campaigns. Signals are indicators of data that are derived from data sources and abstracted to protect the underlying data. Each entity that sells data in the virtual marketplace first converts data into a “signal” or indicator that represents the data without disclosing it or providing it. Signal sellers determine if they want share signals based upon buyer, price, and other rules, including limitations on signal use; signal buyers determine signal value based upon their objectives.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: COMMERCE SIGNALS, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Noyes
  • Publication number: 20140278844
    Abstract: A system, machine-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for allowing offline gameplay is provided. A client device may receive a request to access a game through a game user interface. If the client device is offline, the client device may generate an advertisement using one or more cached objects stored on the client device and provide the advertisement in the game user interface. Additionally, when a request to purchase a game asset of the game is received while the client device is offline, a reliability score indicating a likelihood of receiving payment for the game asset may be used to determine whether to provide the game asset in the game user interface while the client device is offline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Zynga Inc.
    Inventor: Nishchaie Khanna
  • Publication number: 20140278846
    Abstract: A method for creating and managing a charitable promotion. The method including receiving charitable promotion event information associated with a charitable promotion event, wherein the charitable promotion event information is received from one or more businesses; receiving names and addresses of the one or more businesses involved in the charitable promotion event; generating promotion materials based on the charitable promotion event information and the names and addresses; distributing the promotion materials; receiving details of purchases made in response to the charitable promotion; distributing an invoice to the one or more businesses showing amounts due related to the charitable promotion event; receiving selections of customer selected charities; receiving amounts due from the one or more businesses; and distributing donations due to the one or more customer selected charities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Daniel Patrick McCabe, Margaret Woo, Kevin Markham, Matthew Pearce, Joshua Schulman