Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for extracting users of similar interests between various types of web servers. The system includes a user profile vector creation unit, a user similarity calculation unit, and a similar user extraction unit. The user profile vector creation unit collects tag data, performs standardization calculation on the degree of importance of each of one or more tags, and creates user profile vectors for respective users. The user similarity calculation unit calculates user similarity using the user profile vectors of the respective users created through the user profile vector creation unit. The similar user extraction unit extracts users of similar interests using the value of the user similarity calculated through the user similarity calculation unit.

Abstract: Techniques for managing a virtual workspace include generating a virtual workspace viewable by a user on a graphical user interface, the virtual workspace comprising one or more workspace modules comprising data contained in a plurality of data objects associated with a business enterprise; identifying an interaction by the user with at least some of the data contained in a particular data object of the plurality of data objects; generating a plurality of suggestions comprising data contained in the plurality of data objects that is semantically related to the data interacted with by the user; ranking the plurality of suggestions based on a role of the user in the business enterprise; and presenting at least a portion of the ranked plurality of suggestions to the user.

Abstract: Business, recommendation, and social relationship graph information for businesses may be received from a data source social networking website, where each business is recommended by users. The recommendation information may indicate users that recommend certain businesses. The social relationship graph information may indicate user-specific networks of social relationships on the social networking website. For a user query including business and affinity group selection criteria, business, recommendation, and social relationship graph information may be searched to select businesses that: match the business selection criteria; and are recommended by users having social relationships within a maximum degree of closeness with the querying user and being in an affinity group matching the affinity group selection criteria. The selected businesses may be ranked based on numbers of recommending users and social relationship graph information.

Abstract: A system may present information regarding a document and provide an option for removing the document. The system may also receive selection of the option and remove the document when the option is selected. The system may aggregate information regarding documents that have been removed by a group of users and assign scores to a set of documents based on the aggregated information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a search query that includes a user specified search criteria directed toward one field of a plurality of fields associated with a synonym group, and performing a search of a database of a scientific data information system based on the search query. In addition to the user specified search criteria, the search includes all of other the fields associated with the defined synonym group.

Abstract: Architecture that provides a data structure to facilitate personalized ranking over recommended content (e.g., documents). The data structure approximates the social distance of the searching user to the content at query time. A graph is created of content recommended by members of the social network, where the nodes of the graph include content nodes (for the content) and recommending member nodes (for members of the social network who recommended the content). If a member recommends content, an edge is created between the member node and the content node. If a member is a “friend” (tagged as related in some way) of another member, an edge is created between the two member nodes. Each node is converted to a lower dimensional feature set. Feature sets of the content are indexed and the feature set of the searching user is utilized to match and rank the search results at query time.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a search unit configured to search for an object, a selection unit configured to select a plurality of objects from among objects searched for by the search unit based on an instruction by a user, a creation unit configured to create a new document using the plurality of objects selected by the selection unit, and a storage unit configured to store the plurality of objects used in creating the new document by the creation unit as a group, associated with information about the group. The search unit searches for an object related to an object searched for based on a keyword, using information about the group.

Abstract: Colorblind accessible image search technique embodiments are presented that re-rank the results of a relevance-ranked image search to account for the accessibility of the images to a colorblind person. This is accomplished by first computing a colorblind accessibility quantity for each image of interest in the search results. A colorblind accessibility quantity quantizes the degree to which color information is preserved when an image is perceived by a colorblind person viewing the image. It is computed by generating a colorblind version of an image that simulates how the image would appear to the colorblind person. An amount quantifying the loss of color information between the image and the colorblind version of the image is then estimated. This estimate is used to compute the colorblind accessibility quantity for the image. Once the colorblind accessibility quantities have been computed, the image search results are re-ranked based on these quantities.

Abstract: This invention is generally directed to one or more systems or methods relating to social network analysis. More specifically, this invention is generally directed to one or more systems or methods relating to personal communication networks and the analysis of personal-communication-network data.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a personal information profile is constructed for a user having a collection of information items. The personal information profile comprises one or more information topics, and each information topic comprises one or more information items. Each information topic has an interesting score, which indicates a level of interest the user has in the information topic. In one embodiment, a social network is inferred among a group of users, each having a personal information profile. A connection exists between every two users that share at least one common-interest information topic, indicated by their respective personal information profiles.

Abstract: A system of project management and data retrieval in an enterprise system may employ searches based on probabilistic indexing to retrieve potential candidates. The results of probabilistic indexing may provide one or more candidates that correspond to query criteria.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for automatically generating tag terms (or tags) for objects in databases of a web site. The metadata of the objects (or data) of the web site are processed and parsed to automatically generate tag terms for the corresponding objects. Information (or data, or content) downloaded from the Internet often comes with metadata, which can exist in titles, description, sources, and authors of the information, etc. The metadata of downloaded information can be process and parsed to generate tag terms for the corresponding objects. The system can automatically generate tag terms for the data, which are stored as objects in the databases, and make the data (or objects) searchable. In addition, the automatically generated tag terms allow associated data to maintain their relationship. For example, data from the same sources, same authors, or same subjects can be identified based on the common tag terms.

Abstract: A computing device includes a processing unit, and a system memory connected to the processing unit. The system memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to create: a demographic identification module that retrieves demographic profile information associated with a user and identifies a relevant demographic category based on the demographic profile information; a population search module that categorizes search information from other users within the relevant demographic category as the other users search for information, the search information including search terms used by the other users and destination content reviewed by the other users; and a search result module that filters a search query from the user by applying the categorized search information for the relevant demographic category and presents filtered search results to the user.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer program products, for collaborative filtering are provided. A method is provided. The method includes clustering a plurality of entities with respect to one or more latent variables in a probability distribution model of a relationship between a set of entities and a set of items, the probability distribution model comprising a probability distribution of the set of items with respect to the latent variables. The method also includes, as new items are added to the set of items, updating the probability distribution of the set of the items with respect to the latent variables, and generating an updated relationship score for an entity with respect to the set of items based on the entity's fractional membership in the clustering with respect to the latent variables and based on the updated probability distribution of the set of the items with respect to the latent variables.

Abstract: Embodiments facilitate greater flexibility in definition of user segments for targeted advertising, by employing indexed semantic user profiles. Semantic user profiles are built through extraction of online user behavior data such as user search queries and page views, and include user interest information that is inferred based on user behavior. Semantic user profiles are then indexed to facilitate search for a set of users that fit specified semantic search terms. Search results for semantic profiles are ranked according to a ranking model developed through machine learning. In some embodiments, building and indexing of semantic profiles and learning of the ranking model is performed offline to facilitate more efficient online processing of queries.

Abstract: A method and system for providing recommended content for user generated content on an article. The method includes determining one or more features of the article on a web page. The article along with a topical set of comments is viewed by a user. The method also includes defining one or more features of the topical set of comments. The method further includes retrieving the recommended content based on the one or more features of the article and the one or more features of the topical set of comments. Further, the method includes ranking the recommended content based on a plurality of parameters. The plurality of parameters includes user-intent features, a contextual user-model, user history, and user preferences. Moreover, the method includes displaying the recommended content along with the topical set of comments. The system includes one or more electronic devices, a communication interface, a memory, and a processor.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with bi-temporal user profiling are described. An event is detected that occurs at a valid event time. In response to the event, a repository is accessed that stores data describing one or more user profiles that include a profile record valid time period specifying a time at which the given profile record is valid. A prior user profile record is retrieved that has a profile record valid time period that overlaps with the valid event time. An updated user profile record is created based, at least in part, on the event. The updated user profile record is saved with the valid event time demarcating the start of a profile valid time period. The prior user profile with the valid event time demarcating the end of the profile record valid time period is also saved for subsequent processing.

Abstract: Detecting, for a content item, associated preference events is disclosed. For the content item, a plurality of preference events from a plurality of users is received. The received preference events are accumulated. Associated events are detected. The effect of the events is reduced when assigning a status to the item.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with event processing are described. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting an event. The example method may also include analyzing the event to extract information about the user and processing a subsequent event in accordance with the extracted information about the user.

Abstract: Disclosed are method and apparatus for identifying members of a social network who have a high likelihood of providing a useful response to a query. A query engine examines the personal pages of a set of members and automatically gleans semantic information relevant to the query. From the automatically-gleaned semantic information, a score indicative of the likelihood that the member may provide a useful response is calculated.

Abstract: A computer-implemented candidate assessment system is configured to identify the drive characteristics of a candidate having taken a personality test. The system includes a characteristic identification engine configured to identify at least a candidate achievement score, a candidate competitiveness score, and a candidate optimism score, a candidate assessment engine configured to determine a drive core skill score based on a combination of the candidate achievement score, candidate competitiveness score, and candidate optimism score. The drive score is determined with weighting using the achievement score. The system also includes a reporting engine configured to generate a profile report including the drive core skill score.

Abstract: The various embodiments herein provide a method and system for personalizing information retrieval in a communication network. The method involves receiving one or more inputs from several sources and processing the information present in the received inputs. A contextual and personalized search is performed based on the received inputs and the results are displayed in support of the information in the communication network. The system has an application server for receiving the inputs from the sources and a processor for processing the information in the received inputs. One or more virtual documents are generated based on the processed information to perform a search and the results are displayed.

Abstract: A search ranking system may include a context mining module to determine a set of contexts based on profile of information rankable by the system and an access history of users that have accessed at least some of the information. A context detection module may compare an association of a user conducting a search with one or more of the contexts to thereby rank search results based on the comparison.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system may include determination of a similarity of a semantic projection of a set of interests of a first user to a semantic projection of a first resource, wherein the semantic projection of the set of interests of the first user and the semantic projection of the first resource conforms to a common semantic projection model. Also included may be determination of a semantic interest of the first user for the first resource in a first context based on the similarity of the semantic projection of the set of the interests of the first user to the semantic projection of the first resource, and determination of an interest measure associated with the first user, the first resource and the first context based on a rating prediction for the first user to the first resource in the first context and on the determined semantic interest of the first user for the first resource in the first context.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products are described for ranking content items identified by a search engine and delivering corresponding search results. In one aspect, search engine user language preference data is stored in association with user content item selection records. Analysis of the records is performed to identify content items that appeal to users having common language preferences. Query results can be ranked based on the language preference of the current user and/or the user's query and data derived from the selection records.

Abstract: Search results may include both objective results and person results. In one example, a search query is evaluated to determine whether it is the type of query that a user might want to ask to a friend. If the query is of such a type, then the search engine may examine a social graph to determine which friends of the user who entered the query may have information that is relevant to answering the query. If such friends exist, then the friends may be displayed along with objective search results, along with an explanation of each friend's relevance to the query. Clicking on a person in the results may cause a conversation to be initiated with that person, thereby allowing the user who entered the query to ask his or her friend about the subject of the query.

Abstract: A device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a mobile device user to perform a federated search across a plurality of disparate contact data stores, including a phone directory, IM store, an email address book, a buddy list, a social networking group, a SMS list, or any of a variety of other communication contact data stores. When a user inputs a character, a dynamic search is performed across the various contact data stores. The results of the search may be repeatedly updated based on additional input characters. The results of the search may be displayed on the mobile device organized by categories of the contact data stores and/or a preferred communication mechanism. The results may also indicate a preferred mechanism for communicating with the displayed name.

Abstract: An improved human user computer interface system, wherein a user characteristic or set of characteristics, such as demographic profile or societal “role”, is employed to define a scope or domain of operation. The operation itself may be a database search, to interactively define a taxonomic context for the operation, a business negotiation, or other activity. After retrieval of results, a scoring or ranking may be applied according to user define criteria, which are, for example, commensurate with the relevance to the context, but may be, for example, by date, source, or other secondary criteria. A user profile is preferably stored in a computer accessible form, and may be used to provide a history of use, persistent customization, collaborative filtering and demographic information for the user.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing magazine edition recommendations are provided. Categories associated with retrieved magazine edition articles are analyzed. A magazine edition profile is generated for each magazine edition based on the categories for each of the retrieved articles of the corresponding magazine edition. The categories of magazine edition profiles are compared to categories of a profile of a user, wherein the user profile is based on categories of articles viewed by the user. A magazine edition recommendation based on the comparing is provided for display to the user. The edition recommendation may be a link or section of shown in a view of magazine edition content on a mobile device of the user. A user may be provided a convenient way to subscribe to the recommended magazine edition. A personalized magazine edition recommendation of highest ranked articles may also be provided.

Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that facilitate generating a machine-learned model for ranking search results using click-based data are provided. Data is referenced from user queries, which may include search results generated by general search engines and vertical search engines. A training set is generated from the search results and click-based judgments are associated with the search results in the training set. Based on click-based judgments, identifiable features are determined from the search results in a training set. Based on determining identifiable features in a training set, a rule set is generated for ranking subsequent search results.

Abstract: A method for generating, by a monitoring program, a list of relevant documents, related to a search query, comprising tracking activities of first user pursuant to retrieval of a first list of primary documents resulting from a first search query; assigning a user interest score to a secondary document whose identifier is referenced within the contents of a primary or another secondary document; adding said identifier and score to a list of relevant documents wherein said list is associated with said first query and said first user; persisting said list of relevant documents to store.

Abstract: A party reputation aggregation unit determines and collects the reputation of a party from various sources. Further, the party reputation aggregation unit provides for the weighing and aggregation of such data, including reputation data of the party, reputation data of the party's relationships, reputation data of the party's social networks and reputation data of the members of the party's social network so that a complete picture of an individual or organization may be provided to a qualified requestor for his/her use/assessment.

Abstract: A unique system, method, and user interface are provided that involve an integration of map technology with social networks so that individuals can select members of these communities with which to communicate based at least in part on their location, thus enhancing the communication experience. This can be referred to as geo-based messaging. In particular, a member or user of the system and/or method can include his/her personal location information, for example, when joining an online community or social network. This location information can be employed to generate one or more maps that plot the locations of messages posted by community members. As a result, a user can readily visualize any other users or community members located at any selected distance from him/her or from any selected focal point.

Abstract: At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a method to identify top hits in search result based on learned user preferences. In one embodiment, a user search query for records is received from a user. The user search query may contain an alphanumerical string. Records in a multifunctional device are searched to find those that match the alphanumerical string. Based on records previously selected by the user, records in the search result are ranked to identify one or more top hits for the user.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a method for video retrieval by providing a first audio video file, determining a first identifier of a first piece of music in the first audio video file, looking up for the first identifier first meta data in a music database, in which said first meta data are associated with said first identifier, providing second meta data of a second piece of music from the music database. The second piece of music is included in a second audio video file. Further the method is conducted by determining a similarity measure by comparing the first and second meta data, and providing the second audio video file or an identifier thereof depending on the similarity measure. Further embodiments relate to a server, a user device and a system and a computer program product for video retrieval.

Abstract: In order to mitigate a load in communications among an integrated search server, a plurality of search users and a plurality of search servers in an integrated search system, in the present invention, when an integrated search is executed, first, information for narrowing down the search servers is obtained from each search server, and subsequently, the search servers are narrowed down based on this information, and search results are obtained from only the search servers which have been narrowed down. Thereby, there are advantageous effects of reducing memory usage of the integrated search server, and reducing unnecessary network traffic between the integrated search server and each search server.

Abstract: Described herein is a method that includes determining a utility to a user of sharing a set of attributes for use in connection with personalized searching or other online services. The method further includes determining a cost to the user of sharing the set of attributes. The method also includes outputting an indication of a net benefit to the user of sharing the set of attributes based at least in part upon the determined utility and the determined cost.

Abstract: A user-customized photo book includes a tailored intergenerational historic snapshot message which informs a younger person about the world an older person lived in when they were young. The older person's age and the younger person's age may be used to identify a historic time period in which the older person was the same age as the younger person. A circumstance which occurred in the historic time period may be selected from a database or web search result. The message may be tailored to the ages of the people involved. The message may also be tailored to recite circumstances specific to a topic area or a geographic location. The message may be used in the book's title, dedication, photo captions or watermarks, photo call-outs or other labels, narrative text, and back-cover summary, for example. Items other than photo books may also be customized with such a message.

Abstract: Techniques for calculating a ranking of at least one item in a plurality of items. The techniques include receiving user preferences comprising a plurality of first-order user preferences indicative of a user's preferences for items in the plurality of items, and at least one second-order user preference indicative of the user's preferences among first-order user preferences in the plurality of first-order user preferences; calculating, with at least one processor, a ranking of the at least one item in the plurality of items based, at least in part on, at least one data structure encoding a preference graph that represents the received user preferences; and identifying and outputting at least a subset of the plurality of items to a user, in accordance with the ranking.

Abstract: A query processing system is described herein for personalizing results for a particular user. The query processing system operates by receiving a query from a particular user u who intends to find results that satisfy the query with respect to a topic Tu, the user being characterized by user information ?u. In one implementation, the query processing system then produces a generic topic distribution Prr(T|q) associated with the query that is germane to a population of generic users, as well as a user-specific query-dependent topic distribution Pr(Tu|q,?u) for the particular user. The query processing system then produces personalized results for the particular user based on Prr(T|q) and Pr(Tu|q,?u). The query processing system can use multiple techniques to produce Pr(Tu|q,?u), such as, in one approach, a discriminative learning approach.

Abstract: An automated contiguous space identification feature for businesses is provided. Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system of converting the value assigned to a work space in a coordinate system from an absolute position value to a unique relative position value. Such conversion enables identification of contiguous work spaces present within a defined area. An embodiment can be implemented via a stand-alone computing system or such a system interconnected with other platforms or data stores by a network, such as a corporate intranet, a local area network, or the Internet.

Abstract: Methods and a system are disclosed for a collaborate brainstorming interface that defines a collaboration session with a three dimensional holographic mind map. An intelligent agent guides a collaboration session that is structured by the interface. The intelligent agent detects key words, work flow steps and user interactions in the session to initiate searches that are filtered using artificial intelligence. The results are presented to developers interacting through the interface.

Abstract: An internal state of a user and a situation of the user are complementarily used to recommend optimal information for the individual user. An information providing system according to the present invention estimates a current strength of a desire of the user and a current situation of the user to refer to a database describing combinations of the strength and the situation to thereby present items that can satisfy both the desire of the user and the situation of the user.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a search request to search a bookmark package database storing bookmarks and tag information, e.g., user-generated keywords; using the search request to search the tag information in the bookmark package database to locate relevant bookmarks and to generate search results; and presenting the search results to a user. The search results may identify user-specific relevant bookmarks, and/or relevant bookmarks regardless of the creator. The method may include determining related terms and enabling selection of the related terms to initiate additional searching. The method may include generating a relevance value based on keyword order, meta-information type, number of bookmarks to a given content item, number of hits on a given bookmark, time of last bookmarking to a given content item, and/or content analysis. Search result organization may be based on the relevance values. The bookmark package database may further store automatically generated and user-generated meta-information.

Abstract: Expertise mining features are provided based in part on the use of an expertise mining algorithm and expertise mining queries. A method of an embodiment operates to provide an expanded feedback query based in part on search results using an expertise mining query and a number of author-ranking heuristics used to rank authors and/or co-authors (e.g., primary authors, secondary authors, etc.) as part of an expertise mining operation. A search system of an embodiment includes an author ranker component to rank authors based in part on an expertise mining query and author-ranking heuristics, and a query expander component to provide expanded queries as part of identifying relevant search results. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, processes and interfaces for enhancing or modifying the output of search results are provided. For example, an interface may allow a user to indicate a particular search result returned for a search as being undesirable. In one embodiment, such an indication may cause a removal (e.g., by a search engine or by a third party software application with access to a listing of search results returned by the search engine) of the search result from the listing of the search results as well as review of the remainder of the search results to determine which additional search results should also be removed (e.g., additional search results may be determined, on behalf of the user, to be undesirable for the same reason as the search result(s) indicated by the user).

Abstract: A system, method and processor medium that manages automatic generation of output from an on-line analytical processing (OLAP) system. Scheduled services are processed in an OLAP system and output from the OLAP system is then automatically forwarded to one or more subscriber output devices specified for that service. The system manages the operation of the service processing system to increase throughput, increase speed, and improve the administrator control over the processing. The system enables administrator control over processing by enabling administrators to view all services and all subscribers of the system, by maintaining an address book containing entries for subscribers of the service and by scheduling processing of services. The system governs the volume of services being processed, the number of subscribers to a particular service, and the number of output devices to which a service may be broadcast.

Abstract: A digital data processing method for information retrieval and an information retrieval system thereof are provided. In an embodiment, the information retrieval system trains a personalized model according to a user's feedback perceptions of at least one information piece. With respect to information pieces and different users, the information retrieval system performs estimation, based on two different stages with a generalized model and the trained personalized model.

Abstract: A network-community research service includes a research module to receive a research query from a requesting member belonging to a network community. The research module is configured to answer the research query with a ranked list of research results at least partially prioritized based on network-community activities of non-requesting members.

Abstract: A journaling subsystem on a mobile device stores event data related to applications or other subsystems running on the mobile device. The event data can be stored and indexed in a journal database so that a timeline of past events can be reconstructed in response to search queries. In some implementations, a timeline can be reconstructed with markers on a map display based on search results. When the user interacts with a marker on the map display, the event data collected by the mobile device is made available to the user.