Abstract: A method for classifying digital media files includes obtaining geographical information from geographical identification metadata associated with one or more digital media files stored in a memory of a mobile terminal, and assigning a respective ranking to the one or more digital media files within one or more media classification categories based on the obtained geographical information. A summary view of the one or more ranked digital media files is displayed, the summary view including two axes, each axis corresponding to at least one of the one or more media classification categories. A travel profile for a user of the mobile terminal, including the user's travel preferences as determined by the respective ranking of at least one ranked digital media file in one or more of the media classification categories, is generated, and relevant travel information is presented to the user. Related devices and computer program products are also discussed.

Abstract: The following relates to ranking search results consisting of locations or recommending locations to visit based on recorded data representing visits by a plurality of users to the locations represented as search results or recommended locations to visit. The data representing users' visits can be recorded by receiving data anonymously reported by handheld communication devices carried by the plurality of users. A handheld communication device, which is carried by a user, can report to the system the user's present location optionally associated with a time stamp. The handheld communication device can report either a single location coordinate or a collection of coordinates gathered over time.

Abstract: Under one aspect, an interface program stored on a computer-readable medium causes a computer system with a display device to perform the functions of: accepting search criteria from a user, the search criteria including a domain identifier identifying a domain and a free text query entry; in response to accepting said search criteria from the user, receiving a set of document-location tuples from a corpus of documents, wherein each document: (a) contains information that is responsive to the free text query entry; and (b) contains location-related information that refers to a location within the domain; requesting and receiving a result from an additional query based at least in part on the domain identifier, the result not being a document-location tuple; and displaying a visual representation of at least a subset of the document-location tuples and a visual representation of the result of the additional query on the display device.

Abstract: System, method and program product for detecting a malicious SQL query in a parameter value field of a request. The parameter value field is searched for query operands, characters and/or symbols and combinations of query operands, characters and/or symbols indicative of malicious SQL injection. A respective score assigned to each of the query operands, characters and/or symbols or combinations of query operands, characters and/or symbols found in the parameter value field is added to yield a total score for at least two of the query operands, characters and/or symbols or combinations of query operands, characters and/or symbols found in the parameter value field. Responsive to the total score exceeding a threshold, the request is blocked.

Abstract: The present invention is a common location-based service adapter interface. The common location-based service adapter interface can include a uniform input interface through which location-based services can be requested using a uniform format which is independent of any specific formatting required by a particular service adapter configured to process the location-based services. The common location-based service adapter interface also can include a uniform output interface through which specifically formatted result sets can be formatted using the uniform format.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for retrieving information relevant to tracked objects appearing in a display of a video signal is disclosed. The method is performed by a viewing computer having stored thereon an augmented display tool. In response to a user requesting the video signal, a content directory storing content information relevant to the tracked objects is acquired from a video-overlay server. The augmented display tool causes the viewing computer to acquire and display the video signal and record a time measurement and spatial coordinates of each point selected by a viewer using a pointing device. The augmented display tool uses the content directory to find an object identifier corresponding to each selected point and extracts relevant information from a global object directory maintained at the video-overlay server.

Abstract: The invention provides methods, systems and apparatus for assigning color names to individual image pixels, and generating verbal description of color composition in images, suitable for a wide variety of information processing applications. For an isolated image pixel (individual color sample or color value) an illustrative embodiment of this invention uses a predetermined vocabulary of color names, and then generates a distance measure describing the best color match and corresponding color name for the given pixel. For the input image, an illustrative embodiment of this invention computes the simplified representation of the scene, consistent with human perception, and uses the predetermined vocabulary, syntax rules and metric to assign color names to all perceptually significant objects and regions and obtain the verbal description of the overall color composition. The invention is also applicable to other types of information signals, such as sequences of video frames, web pages, etc.

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a location aware recommendation engine. In response to a recommendation request, relevant recommendations may be ranked based on the current location of a user, location associated with an entity, and/or accessibility criteria.

Abstract: A time-shift image distribution system includes an image server and a time-shift image requesting apparatus. The image server includes a first communication unit configured to carry out communications with the time-shift image requesting apparatus, an image database configured to store image data of captured images in association with meta information for image data of a captured image matching search-condition information, and an image providing unit configured to provide the image data of the captured image detected by the searching unit to the time-shift image requesting apparatus. The time-shift image requesting apparatus includes a second communication unit configured to carry out communications with the image server, and a unit configured to send a search request including information representing an imaging time and information for identifying a subject image as search-condition information to the image server via the second communication unit.

Abstract: A system that automatically discerning the best combinations of a user query's geographical origin and language, retrieving and displaying search results accordingly. A record on the system are associated with a geographic location and a language. A record could be composed of two or more records, each of which associates with a location and a language. A record could be in rich media format.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a method for searching for mobile assets in accordance with location. A monitoring module monitors usage of assets in a plurality of mobile devices to identify assets used in different locations. For each usage of an asset, the monitoring module identifies the location of the mobile device utilizing the asset via a global positioning system. A search query for a requested asset is received from a requesting mobile device. The location of the requesting mobile device is identified. Assets that are used in the location of the requesting mobile device are identified based on the monitoring of the usage of assets. Results of the search query are weighed by assigning higher rankings to the assets used in the location of the requesting mobile device. The results of the search query are sent to the requesting mobile device and/or an interface.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for searching a corpus of documents for documents that are responsive to a query specifying one or more search words and spatial information, the method involving: storing in memory a spatial document index for the corpus of documents, wherein the spatial document index indexes documents in the corpus according to spatial references found within the documents; storing in a storage medium a plurality of spatial keyword document indexes for the corpus of documents, wherein each of the spatial keyword document indexes is for a different keyword and indexes those documents among the corpus that are responsive to that keyword; and intersecting a portion of the spatial document index and selected indexes among the plurality of spatial keyword document indexes to identify a result set of those documents from among the corpus of documents that are responsive to the query.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus provides for rating user generated content (UGC) with respect to search engine results. The method and apparatus includes recognizing a UGC data field collected from a web document located at a web location. The method and apparatus calculates: a document goodness factor for the web document; an author rank for an author of the UGC data field; and a location rank for web location. The method and apparatus thereby generates a rating factor for the UGC field based on the document goodness factor, the author rank and the location rank. The method and apparatus also outputs a search result that includes the UGC data field positioned in the search results based on the rating factor.

Abstract: A method prepares a response when providing e-Directory services to a user making a user request for location-based supplier information.

Abstract: Techniques for searching and providing geographical regions are described. The process searches and recommends points of interests based on a user-specified region. Points of interests include spatial objects (e.g., buildings, landmarks, rivers, parks) and their distributions in a geographical region. The process searches and recommends points of interests by partitioning a spatial map into grids to identify representative categories located in each of the grids. In response to the user-specified region, a set of geographical candidates containing the representative categories is retrieved. The process determines whether the user-specified region and the set of geographical candidates include similar or common representative categories and similar or common spatial distributions of the representative categories. Then the process provides the top ranked set of geographical candidates that have similar content information.

Abstract: A method, system, and graphical user interface for alerting a computer user to new results for a prior search are disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a graphical user interface on a computer that includes a plurality of links recommended by a search engine for a computer user. The plurality of links are determined by the search engine by: producing search results by rerunning a plurality of search queries that have been performed previously for the computer user; and evaluating the produced search results to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria. At least one of the criteria is based on Internet usage data for the user.

Abstract: The invention also provides a method of interfacing with a client computer system, wherein search results include search results with geographic locations outside the first selected area if the number of the search results that have geographic locations within the selected area are less than a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A system and method for extracting information from at least one document in at least one set of documents, the method comprising: generating, using at least one ranking and/or matching processor, at least one ranked possible match list comprising at least one possible match for at least one target entry on the at least one document, the at least one ranked possible match list based on at least one attribute score and at least one localization score.

Abstract: A location extraction component analyzes a set of travelogues to identify all of the locations mentioned therein. A co-occurrence extraction component computes co-occurrence values for the identified locations. When the identity of a specified location is received, suggested locations for the specified location are identified through the use of the co-occurrence values. A map is displayed that encompasses an area including the specified location and the suggested locations. The map might include indicators for the specified location and for each of the suggested locations. Attributes of the indicators, such as their size or color, can be modified based upon the co-occurrence value associated with the corresponding suggested location.

Abstract: Vectors representing objects in n-dimensional space are approximated by local polar coordinates on partitioned cells of the data space in response to a query, e.g., a query data vector entered with a request to find “k” nearest neighbors to the query vector. A set of candidate near neighbors is generated using the approximations, with the local polar coordinates being independent of the dimensionality of the data space. Then, an answer set of near neighbors is returned in response to the query. Thus, the present invention acts as a filter to reduce the number of actual data vectors in the data set that must be considered in responding to the query.

Abstract: A method for transmitting advertisements to a communication device comprises the steps of: a communication device transmitting a search instruction to a content aggregating apparatus, wherein the search instruction comprises at least a keyword, the location of the communication device, a user account and a time stamp; performing an Internet search based on the given keyword and the location of the communication device; optimizing the search results; transmitting the optimized results in an XML format to the communication device; transmitting advertisements to the communication device according to the keywords and the location of the communication device; providing a short message to an inbox of the communication device according to the advertisement; and notifying a user of the incoming short message.

Abstract: A method for performing a location search includes receiving a location search query, determining key words corresponding to the location search query, identifying one or more documents that correspond to the key words in the location search query, and providing to a client system information identifying at least one location corresponding to the one or more documents.

Abstract: A system for visibly processing observed information may include a configuration for systematizing information; a knowledge accumulation housing unit for storing knowledge accumulations from knowledge information belonging to each such configuration; an observed information receiving unit for receiving, from a user, information observed by the user; a fixed quantity processing unit for assigning a fixed quantity to a relationship between the observed information and the knowledge information belonging to each configuration for the knowledge accumulations; and a fixed quantity value display processing unit for displaying a numerical value of the fixed quantity, in accordance with the fixed quantity processing unit, together with its relationship with each configuration of the knowledge accumulations.

Abstract: Disclosed is a contents information search control system that, when automatic search of contents, such as game software, is performed with a terminal, such as a cellular phone, according to a user's preference, can reflect a change in user's interest or expansion of a target range of an interest. A change in user's interest is quantitatively grasped as an interest vector, and when the interest vector satisfies a predetermined condition, a search condition is updated to reflect the change in the user's interest in a search condition. In addition, expansion of a target range of the user's interest is quantitatively grasped as distance information, and when the distance information satisfies a predetermined condition, the search condition is updated to reflect the expansion of the target range of the user's interest in the search condition. The interest vector or the distance information is calculated from an automatic search result on the basis of contents selected by a user, and updated as occasion demands.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying clusters is provided. A plurality of clusters are generated. Each cluster includes one or more documents. A cluster concept selected from the documents is identified. The cluster concepts that satisfy an acceptance criteria are selected. Spines are formed from the clusters associated therewith. The clusters including the cluster concepts not selected are assigned to one of the spines, which provides a best fit with the cluster concept. The spines are placed into a display, wherein each placed spine is unique. An anchor cluster with an open edge on the placed spines is identified. One or more of the spines not already in the display are placed. Similarity between the non-placed spine and each anchor cluster is determined. The anchor cluster most similar is selected. The non-placed spine is set on the open edge of the anchor cluster.

Abstract: Information retrieval using query-document pair information is described. In an embodiment, a click record is accessed having information about queries and documents where user clicks have been observed for query-document pairs. A click graph is either formed or accessed. This has nodes connected by edges, each node representing any of a document and a query and each edge representing at least one observed click. Given at least one first node in the click graph, a similarity measure is determined between that first node and each of one or more second nodes. The second nodes are then ranked on the basis of the similarity measure results and the ranking is used to retrieve information from the click record.

Abstract: A location database is maintained with information regarding each of a number of different geographical items in different locations. A user database is also maintained with user records for various users, each user record comprising the user's identification data. In addition, in at least one of the location database and the user database, an identification is maintained of different geographical items which each user has visited. Geographical-item-to-geographical-item similarities are defined between different geographical items based on the user database. User-to-user similarities between the users are defined based on the user database. A weighted combination of the defined geographical-item-to-geographical-item and user-to-user similarities is computed and particularly relevant geographical items in a given location are identified to a user based on the weighted combination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calculating the surface distance between two geographical locations are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, values are stored in a square look-up table for determining the square of a value. Also, values are stored in a square of linear to surface distance look-up table for determining the surface distance of a linear value. Cartesian co-ordinates of the two geographic locations and the square look-up table are then used to calculate the square of the linear distance between the two geographical locations and the square of linear to surface distance look-up table is used to convert the calculated square of the linear distance to a surface distance.

Abstract: A campaign management system manages campaign data for one or more campaigns and geospatial data for areas in which the campaigns are directed. The system performs spatial queries, data queries, and/or geocode-based queries, generates maps geographically identifying where campaign events are occurring in the geographic area, and generates feature data for display. Campaign symbology, such as shading, color coding, patterns, icons, or other symbols identify one or more campaign events in the geographic area.

Abstract: A search engine enabling search criteria to be defined within a Virtual Earth visualization system. The search criteria can be entered directly as a “region-of-interest” and together with a number of optional text-based search criteria that are combined to become a spatial database query which is subsequently submitted to a spatial database whereby the search results are returned to the search client, for display directly into the Virtual Earth visualization system.

Abstract: Assignment of point level address geocodes to street networks include the steps of entering address data and collecting candidate point data records and segment data record matches for the entered address. Each point data record includes address elements and also includes a geocode. Each segment data record includes a centerline between segment record data points. A determination is made if there is at least one point data record match for the input address. The best point record match for the input address is selected when at least one point data record match is made. The address elements from the point record are compared to any collected segment data records. A determination is made of the best segment record match to the selected best point record and the best segment record match is selected.

Abstract: A method and system for differentiating duplicate yet disjoint localities, such as cities, within a state or other principal geographic unit of interest is for use with electronic maps and databases. Duplicate locality name entries are stored in a database, locality name database entries are condensed for localities having two or more similar names, and adornments for duplicate locality names are stored in the database. In the adornment selection process, for a first duplicate locality, a second duplicate locality is selected that is closest to the first. Selected adornments are first and second significant localities, such as large cities, and are closer to the first and second duplicate localities, respectively, than the first and second duplicate localities are to each other, and are more significant than the first and second duplicate localities. Adornments to duplicate localities are displayed to the user. The process is repeated for remaining duplicate localities.

Abstract: Search results of a search query on a network are ranked according to an additional click distance property associated with each of the documents on the network. The click distance is measurement of the number clicks or user navigations from a page or pages on the network designated as highest authority or root pages on the network. The precision of the results is increased by the addition of the click distance term when the site or intranet where the search query takes place is hierarchically structured.

Abstract: In some embodiments, techniques for computer security comprise reducing the deceptiveness of electronic communications.

Abstract: A method of evaluating the relevance rank of a target document in a search result list, includes the steps of assigning a basic credit to all keywords that are found in the target document; grouping keywords that are found in the target document; assigning extra value of credit to each keyword group; calculating the total value of credit of the whole target document; calculating the maximum value of credit of the whole target document, and calculating the relevance rank according to a comparison function of the total value of credit and the maximum value of credit for the target document.

Abstract: Location-specific content is automatically generated for a particular entity having a plurality of physical locations. Database entries that contain identifying data associated with the particular entity are searched for to obtain location information of each of the plurality of physical locations. The location information, in correlation with one or more keywords associated with the particular entity, is stored in a computer-readable electronic database such that a user-generated query that includes at least one of the keywords and a search location causes a processor to execute operations that initiates a search of the computer-readable electronic database for the location information of the physical locations that are in proximity to the search location. At least one result that is displayable to the user is provided.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for establishing documents relationship based on user's operation upon search result. When a user uses search engine to search for documents with a query in repository, the search result may be a list of ranked documents, and these documents may contain a lot of relationship in term of the specific query. If the user clicks some search result further, and if the click and open operation meet certain conditions, for example exceed a period of time, the clicked document could be deemed as related to the search query. Furthermore it could be inferred that there is a strong relationship between different documents clicked by the user. The present invention records the relationship between documents and presents it to the user when necessary.

Abstract: Improved data content determination techniques are disclosed for use in accordance with information-seeking systems. For example, in one illustrative aspect of the invention, a technique for determining data content for a response to a query comprises obtaining a user query, and dynamically determining data content suitable for generating a response to the query, wherein data content determination is modeled as an optimization operation which attempts to balance context-based selection constraints. Further, the step of dynamically determining data content may further comprise modeling the context-based selection constraints as feature-based metrics. The feature-based metrics may be formulated using contextual information. Still further, the step of dynamically determining data content may further comprise performing the optimization operation such that one or more desirability metrics are maximized and one or more cost metrics are minimized, thus balancing the various constraints.

Abstract: The invention provides for a system for ranking data including a first calculation component that calculates a qualitative semantic similarity score of at least one data entry from at least one data source, a second calculation component that calculates a general quantitative score of the at least one data entry from at least one data source, a third calculation component that combines the qualitative semantic similarity score and the general quantitative score of the at least one data entry from at least one data source into a vector score for the at least one data entry, and a ranking component that ranks the at least one data entry among other data entries using the vector score. General qualitative scores such as distance scores are never overruled by semantic scores.

Abstract: In one aspect, the system and method provides a modified image in response to a request for a street level image at a particular location, wherein the previously captured image is modified to illustrate the current conditions at the requested location. By way of example only, the system and method may use local weather, time of day, traffic or other information to update street level images.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for displaying geographically and/or temporally relevant multimedia notes on a mobile client device. The user creates a multimedia note through the mobile client device and transmits the note to the server. The server publishes the note and when the note becomes geographically and/or temporally relevant for other users, the server transmits the note to mobile client devices of those users. The server also tracks the route of a mobile client device and generates a web presentation with the tracked route including the multimedia notes embedded in various locations of the route.

Abstract: Image galleries are automatically located within documents, such as web pages. Documents that are determined to contain image galleries may be treated differently when storing the document for later retrieval by an image search engine. In one implementation, the image galleries are automatically located within a document by calculating position information indicating relative positions of images in the document. The document may be determined to contain an image gallery when the position information indicates that the images in the document are generally evenly distributed.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing geographically-related search results in map interfaces that are derived with an understanding of the intent behind the user's query, and the abstract entities to which the query maps.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information processing device including a generating section, a calculating section, a link detecting section, and a presenting section.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing a plurality of data elements having both temporal and spatial properties, where a first data element and a second data element of the plurality of data elements are linked by at least one association element. The system and method include selecting the first data element from the plurality of data elements and providing at least one search criteria for use in analyzing the properties of the plurality of data elements with respect to at least one property of the first data element. An analysis module is used to apply the at least one search criteria to the properties of the plurality of data elements for identifying the second data element from the plurality of data elements and the corresponding at least one association element.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for displaying a map conveying data and information related to intellectual properties. The system and method allows for a user to choose criteria for a search, which results are graphically displayed. The system and method also provides for applying filtering to the results based on system parameters, such as access permissions.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates automatically organizing digital images using metadata which is embedded in the digital images. The system operates by receiving a digital image with embedded metadata, wherein the embedded metadata includes Global Positioning System (GPS) data. The system uses the embedded metadata, including the GPS data, to identify additional metadata associated with the digital image. The system then saves the digital image on a storage medium. In addition, the system saves the embedded metadata and the additional metadata on the storage medium in a searchable format.

Abstract: A method for performing a location search includes receiving a location search query, determining key words corresponding to the location search query, identifying one or more documents that correspond to the key words in the location search query, and providing to a client system information identifying at least one location corresponding to the one or more documents.

Abstract: An interactive visual interface for organizing, locating, searching, and monitoring collections of digital information, designed to harness human spatial memory for organizing and retrieving digital information. In one example, an information map organizes digital information within a two-dimensional space with rapid visual feedback and information access. The organization may be algorithmically computed and user-modified. An interface that supports persistent state information whereby search nodes and document references are spatially fixed so that users may harness their spatial memory to organize and find information quickly.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing geocoded web content to a user based on a specific geographic location specified by the user. A determination module receives a geographic location from the user and determines latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the geographic location from a geographic information database. The determination module further determines a geographic boundary associated with the latitude and longitude coordinates based at least in part on an area of interest surrounding the geographic location. A web content search module determines web content comprising substance associated with a location within the geographic boundary. A front end interface transmits the determined web content for display in an order based at least in part on distance from the location associated with the web content to the geographic location.