Abstract: A dialog manager receives previous user actions and previous observations and current observations. Previous and current user states, previous user actions, current user actions, future system actions, and future observations are hypothesized. The user states, the user actions, and the user observations are hidden. A feature vector is extracted based on the user states, the system actions, the user actions, and the observations. An expected reward of each current action is based on a log-linear model using the feature vectors. Then, the current action that has an optimal expected reward is outputted.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of allocating offline advertising, the method including receiving an offer price for audience-member responses for an offline advertising campaign and campaign information describing the offline advertising campaign, comparing the received campaign information to one or more other advertising campaigns to determine a portion of offline advertising inventory to allocate to the offline advertising campaign, and allocating the determined portion of advertising inventory to the offline advertising campaign.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device having a controller programmed to store a subscriber selectable preference for advertisements used for selecting advertisements to send to a set top box and receive a signal from a broadcast stream indicating the location for insertion of an advertisement based on the subscriber selectable preference. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for sending content to a media player. In general, a user of the disclosed system consumes a plurality of media content (e.g., audio content, visual content, audiovisual content, etc.) distributed from a media server. The content preferably include advertising content and non-advertising content. Some or all of the content is selected by the system based on the user's specific requests, profile, preferences, and/or feedback, in conjunction with the profiles, preferences, requests, and feedback of other users, (e.g. using social media, social matching and/or collaborative filtering techniques). Preferably, the feedback includes statistical data indicative of partial experiences (e.g., user listened to 50%) of the content by one or more media consumers.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, system, and computer program product include one or more processors providing a framework for building a visual representation of a product concept, the visual representation including one or more of a textual component and a graphical component; one or more processors receiving a designation of an element within at least one of the textual component and the graphical components as a dynamic element; one or more processors associating the dynamic element with a variant list including one or more element variants; one or more processors receiving a selection of a first element variant from the variant list; and one or more processors generating a first instantiation of the visual representation including the first element variant as the dynamic element.

Abstract: Electronic consent for telemarketing calls can be obtained by soliciting consent from an individual using two-dimensional barcodes, such as quick response (“QR”) codes. The QR code can be printed on an advertisement and read by a smart phone. The reading of the QR code causes communication to be originated from the individual's smart phone for the purpose of requesting the individual to be contacted for a particular purpose. The communication can be construed by the enterprise as providing electronic consent for the enterprise to contact the individual with a subsequent telemarketing call. The sender's telephone number and other relevant information can be stored in an electronic consent database used to ensure compliance with appropriate marketing regulations.

Abstract: A first computer identifies electronic commerce activity related to a first user. The first computer retrieves a first data, wherein the first data is coupled to the electronic commerce activity. The first computer analyzes the first data and generates a second data. The first computer generates an electronic commerce display for a social network platform using the second data, wherein the electronic commerce display includes at least one timeline of the electronic commerce activity of the first user.

Abstract: The solution of the ad delivery platform described herein provides for the marketing and monetizing of media assets via the delivery of advertisement with on-demand video. The ad platform optimizes the delivery of ads by controlling the insertion frequency and format of the ad delivered with video streams. The ad platform provides flexible and configurable ad insertion rules to specify the insertion frequency and format for the composition of ads during playback of on-demand video media. The ad insertion rules may be based on a user profile, user behavior history, topic of the stream to be delivered, duration of the video or ad, and/or the popularity rating of the video or ad. The ad platform includes a reporting tool and usage reports to measure the effectiveness of the ad insertion rules in delivering ads to market and monetize the video media.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method for determining a mapping are illustrated. In an embodiment, the method includes receiving a log record from a tracking component that is located on a plurality of web pages. The method further includes determining a first mapping between a plurality of anchors associated with the plurality of users. The method also includes determining a second mapping between the plurality of users based on the first mapping.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present invention is directed to database driven computer systems providing real-time updatable graphical user interfaces to track real-time value of airings, including: a specifically programmed server; a database accessible by the server, where the server includes a plurality of modules configured to perform: electronically and periodically obtaining media data, web tracking transaction data, call center transaction data, and fulfillment transaction data; associating, in real time, media data records of airings of creatives to fulfillment transaction records by matching records among database tables having media data, web tracking transaction data, call center transaction data, and fulfillment transaction data; continuously calculating, in real-time, a current value of a particular airing of a particular creative; and displaying a graphical user interface, including real-time updated look-up items, outputting one or more real-time report based at least on the continuously calculatin

Abstract: Use action in the form of movement of a tracking device on a webpage, represented by cursor gestures on the webpage, is used to detect it a user intends to leave the webpage. Upon detection of an intent to leave the webpage, an advertisement may be displayed to a use. The advertisement may be targeted to the user and/or based on the content the user was viewing on the webpage.

Abstract: A database system is disclosed. The database system includes a matching module configured to query a database for users which have data matching an interest of another user and to selectively grant to one or more of the users access to data of the other user based at least in part on a result of the query and on an access control list.

Abstract: This specification describes methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage device, for non-default location support for publisher side files. In an aspect, location macros are used in content item data. The location macros are specific to vendors that serve the content items. For each content item request for which a publisher specified by the request utilizes a default location for a publisher side file location, the content item data are modified to specify the default location. Conversely, for each request for which the publisher specified by the request utilizes a non-default location for the publisher side file location, the content item data are modified to specify the non-default location.

Abstract: An electronic document references one or more electronic document resources stored on a host device. The host device may indicate in the electronic document that an electronic document is cacheable by a client device. When an electronic document resource is identified as cacheable by the client device, the client device caches the electronic document resource in a database stored in a computer-readable medium of the client device. The client device may also generate an electronic document resource catalog that identifies those electronic document resources that are cached in the database. When the client device next requests the electronic document from the host device, the client device may transmit the electronic document resource catalog to the host device. Upon receiving the electronic document resource catalog, the host device may modify the electronic document so that the electronic document references the electronic document resources cached in the database of the client device.

Abstract: An exemplary information-processing device includes: a display controller configured, when a second application program, capable of performing a search is activated during execution of a first application program, to display a second image displayed as a result of execution of the activated second application program, and a first image that has been displayed as a result of execution of the first application program before activation of the second application program; and an execution controller configured to notify the second application program of an event corresponding to an input operation, to execute a process according to a procedure described in the second application program, while maintaining the first image to be displayed.

Abstract: This specification describes methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage device, for precluding the serving of expandable content items from vendors for publisher hosts that do not support the particular vendors.

Abstract: Techniques are described for retrieving advertisements for insertion into a document. Embodiments receive a document comprising a request to retrieve a plurality of advertisement creatives. In response to transmitting the request specified within the received document to the advertisement management system, a single software object defining all of the plurality of advertisement creatives is received. Embodiments insert each of the plurality of advertisement creatives into the document, prior to rendering the document, and then render the document together with the advertisement creatives.

Abstract: The invention includes a system, apparatus, and method for storing media content within a service provider network. The system includes multi-service servers associated with access points adapted to allow end-user devices to access the service provider network. Each multi-service server includes a common storage partition adapted for storing media content and a plurality of end-user storage partitions adapted for maintaining associations to media content. The system includes media servers that communicate with the multi-service servers for providing media content to the multi-service servers. In response to a request for media content received from one of a plurality of end-user devices, the requested media content stored in the common storage partition is associated with a selected one of the end-user storage partitions associated with the end-user. The request for media content is received in response to end-user directed advertisements received at any of the plurality of end-user devices.

Abstract: Techniques for transmitting and presenting content may be provided. In particular, systems and methods are provided for allowing third parties (e.g., “publishers”) to specify content items to be transmitted, via channels, to a plurality of devices (e.g., subscriber devices). Content items can include, e.g., product information, promotion details or institution-level notifications and can dynamically change in time. In one instance, a publisher can periodically update content (e.g., images, videos or text) based on, e.g., current or future promotions, new product launches or recent events. One or more content items can then be transmitted via a channel to devices of subscribers of the channel (e.g., simultaneously or asynchronously). When inactivity is detected at a particular subscriber's device, the device can present one or more content items from the channel. In some instances, the channel's content item(s) is sequential to or interleaved with content items from another channel.

Abstract: An Internet affiliate marketing method and associated computer program whereby a next generation affiliate network acts as an exchange for advertisers and merchants on one side and affiliates and next generation affiliates on the other. Affiliates and next generation affiliates sell content advertising in creatives to advertisers and merchants. Parties use this network to find each other, evaluate each other, and establish a purchase or advertising agreement using rewards. Creatives, using traditional advertising, familiar creative advertising, and combination advertising, are transmitted to the network website which posts them on selected social media sites. Parties accessing these sites are exposed to advertisers' and merchants' products appearing on creatives found therein. The network interfaces with enhanced capability supply-side platforms, real-time bidding platforms, and demand-side platforms that accommodate the new advertising concepts, familiar creative advertising and combination advertising.

Abstract: A system and machine-implemented method for displaying an advertisement in a supplemental display area comprising a first supplemental content display region and a second supplemental content display region for concurrent display with a primary content display area on a user device, including identifying the first supplemental content display region and the second supplemental content display region, obtaining an advertisement information, transmitting the advertisement information for display in the first supplemental content display region, obtaining a non-advertisement information, transmitting the non-advertisement information for display in the second supplemental content display region.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for systemizing a brand voice is disclosed. The computer implemented method includes the steps of defining a framework having one or more of writing styles, identifying one or more brand voice characteristics associated with each of the one or more writing styles, assigning an optimum quantitative value to each brand voice characteristic for each writing style based on one or more communication factors, and outputting the optimum quantitative value of each brand voice characteristic for a selected one or more writing styles. The method also includes the steps of receiving written material in a brand voice software application, analyzing the written material to determine a quantitative value for identified brand voice characteristics in the written material, comparing the determined quantitative value to a target quantitative value of the identified brand voice characteristics, altering the written material based on the comparison, and outputting the altered written material.

Abstract: In a method of displaying video data using an embedded media player page, frame dimensional data for a first video file is received from a database 106. The database 106 includes frame dimensional data indexed therein for a plurality of video files. The plurality of video files includes the first video file, and the plurality of video files is retrievable from at least one video server 104 through a communications network 114. A media player is launched within the embedded media player page. A video display area of the media player is sized based upon the received frame dimensional data. The video data from the first video file is displayed within the video display area.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing content. Publisher input is received regarding acceptable content item types and sizes for inclusion with other content in a publication. Publisher input is received regarding how often content items are to appear in the publication. Identification is received of a user device that will render the publication as an article. The other content is evaluated including formatting the article as a single scrolling page, including defining logical pages with boundaries determined by formatted content blocks and based on display capabilities of the user device. Based on the evaluating, content items are selected for presentation along with the other content when presenting the article on the user device, including dynamically determining a number, types and placement of content items based on the logical pages and properties of the user device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving (i) audio data that encodes a spoken natural language query, and (ii) environmental audio data, obtaining a transcription of the spoken natural language query, determining a particular content type associated with one or more keywords in the transcription, providing at least a portion of the environmental audio data to a content recognition engine, and identifying a content item that has been output by the content recognition engine, and that matches the particular content type.

Abstract: The invention relates to a targeting technique for controlling the provisioning of content items, for example advertisements, to users in a mobile communications network (100). A method embodiment of the technique is performed in a provisioning server (114) in the mobile communications network and comprises the steps of receiving an indication of a content item which has been selected by a first user via a first mobile terminal (126); retrieving, from a user-related database, contact information associated with the first user, wherein the contact information indicates at least one second user (128); determining a location of a second mobile terminal of the second user; and selectively initiating, if an intended presentation area for the selected content item covers the location of the second mobile terminal, a presentation of the selected content item to the second mobile terminal (128).

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein is directed to a system and method for displaying graphics, text, animation, video and other content. In one embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a three-dimensional “Display Carousel” system. The system may include one or more display windows, each of which is capable of displaying different content. The configuration of the windows may give the appearance of rotating like a carousel and also of the carousel and/or images being three-dimensional. Other features of the invention may include functionality which permits the uploading and downloading of content, statistical data gathering, and revenue generation.

Abstract: Advertisements are served over the Internet to clients on demand. A client module executing on a client device fetches advertisements over the Internet from an advertisement server. The client module stores these advertisements in a cache on the client device. When an application executing on the client device needs to display an advertisement, instead of contacting the advertisement server directly, the application makes a call to the client module. The client module, instead of contacting the advertisement server immediately, determines whether the cache on the client device contains any advertisements that satisfy criteria specified by the application. If the cache does contain advertisements that satisfy the criteria, then the client module provides those advertisements to the application. Otherwise, then the client module requests criteria-satisfying advertisements from the advertisement server at that time, and provides at least one of those to the application.

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.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for playback and event reporting of video advertisements on a user device. Two different event reporting protocols are simultaneously supported to enable application-based playback of video advertisements while collecting event information associated with the video playback. In some configurations, initialization of the event reporting protocols is serialized to avoid conflict conditions during the video playback.

Abstract: Media code systems and methods include a media code assigned to an advertisement. The media code is a mnemonic code associated with the advertisement. A server stores the media code and content relative to the media code. Computer software is in communication with the server for entering the media code and retrieving the content. Whereby, the media code system and method provides a means for consumers to interact with the advertisement.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing a consumer experience using shared data is provided. The system includes a shared data server in communication with one or more merchant sites and a remote server that may include a payment processing server. The shared data server receives, stores, and analyzes information provided from the merchant sites and the remote server to provide recommendations, offers, and the like to the consumer to enhance their experience. The shared data server may also provide upselling opportunities for the merchant site based on its analysis as well as opportunities to extend credit to consumers for the remote server based on its analysis of the received information. The shared data server may allow merchant sites and remote servers to make indirect use of the information that each has individually about products and customers without providing direct access to the information.

Abstract: Selection of content selection criteria based on entities related by relationship dimensions. In one aspect, a method receives a selection of a seed entity described in entity relation data, the entity relation data defining instances of entities, and for each entity one or more relationship dimensions; generating a set of selected entities; iteratively updating the set of selected entities, each iteration comprising: determining a set of relationship dimensions from the entities in the set of selected entities, each relationship dimension in the set being selected from the one or more relationship dimensions of the entities in the set of selected entities, receiving a selection of one of the relationship dimensions and in response: determining a set of candidate entities from the relationship dimensions and in response to receiving a selection of one or more candidate entities, updating the set of selected entities to include the one or more candidate entities.

Abstract: A local area social network is configured to enable a plurality of computer peripheral devices to show display data on a single shared screen. The local area social network has a proprietary network configured within a local venue. The single shared screen communicatively coupled to the proprietary network. A first computer peripheral device is communicatively coupled to the proprietary network such that the display data sent from the first computer peripheral device is displayed on the single shared screen. A second computer peripheral device is communicatively coupled to the proprietary network such that communication data from the second computer peripheral device is displayed on the first computer peripheral device. A web server is communicatively coupled to the proprietary network wherein the web server pushes data to the single shared screen and pulls user data sent from the first computer peripheral device and the second computer peripheral device.

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.

Abstract: A computerized exchange network makes available on the Internet collected information of items under inspection, such as goods, real estate, or the like. In one aspect, the items and collected information, such as images and videos, are added to a virtual showroom or other virtual inspection site that presents an inventory of such goods, real estate, or the like available from multiple sellers and/or locations. In another aspect, detailed objective information about the items is provided. In another aspect, a data structure includes desired criteria for a desired item and provides an alert when an item of interest matches the desired criteria.

Abstract: Measures, including methods, apparatus and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, are provided for processing browser sessions in a telecommunications network, the telecommunications network comprising a service provider network operated by a service provider responsible for providing telecommunications services to a plurality of subscriber client devices.

Abstract: Managing advertisements for multimedia content delivered over the Internet for a live event. In one embodiment, the method receives the multimedia content over a network connection for playback on a media player, and receives a first advertisement marker that indicates a first start time and a first scheduled duration of a first advertisement break. The method adjust the first scheduled duration to a first adjusted portion, and selects one or more advertisements for playback on the media player to fill the first adjusted duration of the first advertisement break, instead of the first scheduled duration.

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: First content configured for generating a media item is identified; a portion of the first content as being configured to obtain second content for presentation on the page is identified; and at least one parameter associated with the identified portion is identified, including determining whether the presentation of the plurality of advertisements in the media item reflects the ranking order.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a processor configured to receive an instruction to place a call to a remote user, load a communications application, wherein the communications application comprises an isolated security context, request a list of one or more supported communications protocols from a server, receive the list of one or more supported communications protocols from the server, select a protocol from the list of one or more supported communications protocols, load the selected communications protocol in the isolated security context, and initiate the call through the communications application with the remote server using the selected communications protocol.

Abstract: A central server having a computer readable storage media for storing multimedia material, such as motion pictures and television programming, in digital format is connected to a communications network such as the Internet. Exhibitors, such as theaters and television stations, can access the central server, preview available programming, verifying the ownership of such material, review contract provisions for obtaining and paying for the desired programming, and download the programming along with marketing materials for the program or movie. The central server loads material onto the storage media as its received from producers and owners of such material. In addition, central server retains data retains data regarding requests for material, such as titles requested, who requested such, and where the requestors are located geographically. This information can be used to help producers market their material more economically.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for delivering advertisements with electronic content provided over a network and, more specifically, to techniques for selecting among advertisements that are competing for a slot associated with electronic content that is to be delivered over a network, are presented herein. Selecting among advertisements that are competing for a slot is based, at least in part, on an estimated latency for each advertisement. The estimated latency of an advertisement is a prediction of what latency will be experienced if the advertisement is served. The estimated latency may be used as one of the parameters for determining which competing advertisement to place in a slot, where advertisements that are associated with low estimated latencies are favored. For example, if all other parameters are equal, a selection mechanism selects advertisement X over advertisement Y, if the estimated latency for advertisement X is less than the estimated latency of advertisement Y.

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: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which syndication spaces for a webpage are identified, each syndication space defining a location on the webpage in which one or more content items are displayed at a client device, and each syndication space is associated with one or more attributes. One or more of the attributes are selectively displayed on the webpage at the client device.

Abstract: A computerized method and system for keeping popular advertisements active are provided. Example embodiments may include identifying one or more expiring online content from a plurality of online contents. A popularity of the one or more expiring online content may be determined; and an expiration date of the one or more expiring online content may be extended based on the popularity.

Abstract: A system and method for transacting retrieval of inventory data, such as real estate property listing(s), over an information network and dynamically transmitting the listing(s), in near or real time, to one or more subwindows of a web browser window. The listings contain customized rendering instructions that are encoded into an inventory data string and sent to an ad server that renders the listings in the subwindow according to the customized rendering instructions.

Abstract: A system that performs a financial transaction on behalf of a user is presented. During operation, the system receives parameters for the financial transaction. Next, the system analyzes the parameters to determine financial benefits of using one or more subsets of financial sources from a set of financial sources associated with the user to fulfill the financial transaction. The system then selects a subset of financial sources which substantially maximizes the financial benefits for the user. Next, the system uses the selected subset of financial sources to fulfill the financial transaction on behalf of the user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing a responsive user interface and an electronic device-readable recording medium therefor. The apparatus includes a screen setting value memory unit for storing layout setting values according to the size of a screen, a user interface unit for receiving a user command, a user command recognition unit for obtaining corresponding layout setting values from the screen setting value memory unit by analyzing a screen relocation command when the screen relocation command is inputted through the user interface unit, and a screen configuration control unit for reconfiguring the layout of the screen based on the obtained layout setting values, relocating the construction blocks of a corresponding web page in the reconfigured screen, and displaying the relocated web page on the reconfigured screen.

Abstract: A distribution apparatus includes a distribution unit. The distribution unit distributes control information and first content to a terminal apparatus. The control information makes the terminal apparatus execute displaying the first content and second content in a superimposed manner, detecting a moving operation to move the first content displayed at the displaying, and varying a display mode of the second content when the moving operation is detected at the detecting.