Explicit Profile Patents (Class 707/733)
  • Patent number: 8818986
    Abstract: A method of refining a search comprising receiving, by a mobile communication device, a user input, the user input defining a search request; refining, by the mobile communication device, the search request based on a user profile; sending, by the mobile communication device, the refined search request to a search engine; receiving, by the mobile communication device, a search result from the search engine; displaying, by the mobile communication device, the search result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Jason R. Delker, Jason K. Whitney
  • Patent number: 8819013
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium and a method for automatically providing support solutions in response to user feedback items. The method comprises receiving user feedback items and corresponding support solutions. The method further comprises identifying, using clustering techniques, associations between the user feedback items and the corresponding support solutions. The method further comprises storing the identified associations as an items-solutions model that correlates the user feedback items with the corresponding support solutions. The method further comprises receiving a new user feedback item. The method further comprises automatically determining, using the items-solutions model, at least one support solution that corresponds to the new user feedback item. The method further comprises providing the at least one support solution in response to the received new user feedback item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Kirill Buryak, Glenn Lewis, Nadav Benbarak, Aner Ben-Artzi, Jun Peng
  • Patent number: 8812499
    Abstract: An approach for sharing and/or viewing one or more remixes of content based on the preferences of a user is described. A segmentation platform causes, at least in part, a segmentation of content into one or more segments, wherein the one or more segments are associated with one or more content labels. The segmentation platform also causes, at least in part, a rendering and/or sharing of one or more remixes of the content based, at least in part, on at least one subset of the one or more segments based, at least in part, on profile information, context information, or a combination thereof associated with one or more viewers of the content, one or more owners of the content, one or more sharers of the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Sailesh Kumar Sathish, Sujeet Shyamsundar Mate
  • Publication number: 20140229471
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system for ranking meeting topics is described. A plurality of participants in an electronic meeting is identified. One or more interests associated with one or more individuals included in the plurality of participants are identified. One or more topics associated with the meeting are received. A ranking of the one or more topics is determined based upon, at least in part, the one or more identified interests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Patrick Galvin, JR., Amy D. Travis, Sara B. Weber
  • Patent number: 8805830
    Abstract: A web page has a player for playing media objects, a sequencer which displays a playlist that defines an order in which media objects are played by the player, and a media access area for containing a plurality of graphical icons. Each graphical icon representing a media object, and the graphical icons can be manipulated by a user to modify the play list. For example, the media icons may be dragged to the sequencer to add them to the sequencer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Copper Data River LLC
    Inventors: Steve Katinsky, Michael Burress, Jefferson Furtado
  • Publication number: 20140222808
    Abstract: An information retrieval system for automatically retrieving information related to the context of an active task being manipulated by a user. The system observes the operation of the active task and user interactions, and utilizes predetermined criteria to generate context representation of the active task that are relevant to the context of the active task. The information retrieval system then processes the context representation to generate queries or search terms for conducting an information search. The information retrieval system determines the relevance of a word to the context by utilizing an adaptive weighting system. The information retrieval system assigns varying weights to different attributes of a word and calculates an accumulated weight of the word by accumulating all weights assigned to the word. The attributes may include word size, style, location of the word, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Kristian Hammond, Jerome Budzik, Lawrence Birnbaum
  • Patent number: 8799277
    Abstract: A portable device, a photography processing method, and a photography processing system having the same, the method including capturing a photo image; collecting identification (ID) information from neighboring devices; confirming ID information corresponding to the collected ID information; displaying one or more graphical user interface (GUI) elements corresponding to the confirmed identification (ID) information; and transmitting the captured photo image to a device having ID information corresponding to a selected GUI element. Furthermore, the photography processing method tags the identification information of the GUI element selected by the photographer to the captured image, stores the tagged image, performs a photo transmission and a tagging, improves user convenience, data management, and search efficiency, and quickly transmits the photo image of the target person without using additional navigation operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Gook Park, Ji Hyeon Kweon, Hyun Jin Kim, Myung Hyun Yoo
  • Patent number: 8782035
    Abstract: Apparatus for syndicated data stream content provisioning, the apparatus comprising: an interaction tracker, configured to track at least one interaction of a user with at least one content object of a respective one of a group consisting of at least one syndicated data stream received on a computer device, the interaction being implicitly indicative of a preference of the user, a ranking function calculator, in communication with the interaction tracker, configured to calculate a ranking function based on the tracked interaction, and a content ranker, in communication with the ranking function calculator, configured to rank a plurality of content objects of the syndicated data streams of the group, in an order based on the calculated ranking function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: My6sense Inc.
    Inventors: Omer Berkman, Avinoam Rubinstain, Ori Hasse, Barak Hachamov
  • Patent number: 8768922
    Abstract: In this invention, systems and methods for providing keywords for advertising are provided. After a user searches for another user in a social network, the webpage or blog of the queried user is retrieved, and keywords are extracted from this webpage. The keywords may be extracted from the user's profile on the social network (e.g., favorite sports, music artists, etc.), or keywords may be extracted from the text of the webpage (e.g., comments that comprise the blog entries). Once extracted, these keywords may then be used by an advertising system to provide targeted advertisements to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew S. Crane, Philip Lee, Dou Shen
  • Patent number: 8763087
    Abstract: A system and method for managing access to content is provided. One example embodiment provides for a method including acts of identifying a filter of content based at least in part on the preferences a user and a subject presented in the content and presenting the content using the filter to the user. Another example embodiment provides for a system that includes a controller configured to identify a filter of content based on preferences of a user, to present content using the identified filter and to update the preferences of the user based on feedback from the user and the subjects presented in the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Athellina Athsani, Elizabeth F. Churchill, Joseph O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8762374
    Abstract: A processing device of an information processing system is configured to detect bursts of activity associated with a particular user, to map the bursts to tasks performed by the user, to generate a user model based on the mapping of bursts to tasks, and to provide personalized query processing to the user based on the user model. The user model may comprise a Hidden Markov Model. In one embodiment, a query is received from the user in a current time window, and a model parameter is obtained. Based on the model parameter, a most likely task for the user in the current time window is identified, and based on the query, the most likely task, and user classification, search results are ranked for presentation to the user. The processing device may be configured to communicate the user model to a cloud service provider, and to receive from the cloud service provider the ranked search results determined based on the user model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Jidong Chen, Hang Guo, David Stephen Reiner
  • Patent number: 8745049
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for an anonymous personalized recommendation is provided. The method includes receiving select server fingerprints selected from server fingerprints based on predetermined metrics. The server fingerprints correspond to a plurality of public entities and each server fingerprint includes encoded information about a corresponding public entity. The method also includes generating a user fingerprint based on user information associated with a user, the user fingerprint comprising encoded user information. The method further includes comparing the user fingerprint with the select server fingerprints to select a server fingerprint for recommendation, generating a recommendation of a public entity corresponding to the server fingerprint for recommendation, and displaying the recommendation. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Shibl Mourad, Caitlin Kelly Phillips, Marc-Antoine Courteau, Philippe Beaudoin
  • Patent number: 8738612
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for resolving ambiguous queries. A search query is received and metrics are identified for the query that are associated with respective categories. Each metric indicates a user preference for search results that are responsive to the query and associated with the metric's respective category. The identified metrics are used to determine whether the query is ambiguous. Responsive to determining that the query is ambiguous, the identified metrics are used to determine a user preference for one or more categories of search results responsive to the ambiguous query. Search results associated with the one or more user preferred categories are ranked higher than search results that are not associated with the one or more user preferred categories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michel A. Tourn, Robert S. Renaud
  • Patent number: 8732168
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for controlling metadata associated with content on an electronic device that includes displaying interface screens for user entry of metadata control instructions, accepting user instructions, modifying metadata of applicable content, and associating the modified metadata with the applicable content. The system can export and/or store the applicable content along with modified metadata. The system can automatically modify metadata according to one or more profiles. Relevant profiles can be determined based on the export mechanism, destination or type of content. The system can add watermarks to indicate metadata modification. The system can display metadata for user modification. The content can include photos, videos or other content. The system can display metadata and geolocation indicators for each content item that indicate whether that item has associated metadata and geolocation information. The user can selectively modify metadata of selected content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Inventor: Deacon Johnson
  • Publication number: 20140136536
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and computer systems configured to respond to a search query from a computer user. In response to receiving a search query from the computer user, search results are obtained. A plurality of user intents are identified according to the obtained search results. The obtained search results are then grouped according to the subject matter of the search results, where each group corresponds to one of the plurality of user intents. A first user intent (with the corresponding group of search results) is selected. A search results page is generated from the search results of the group the search results corresponding to the selected first user intent and the generated search results page is returned to the computer user in response to the search query.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William Ramsey, Nitin Agrawal, Simant Dube, Antonio Gulli, Binit Kumar Jha
  • Patent number: 8725727
    Abstract: Internet websites that are popular for users in a specific location are determined and displayed to a user of an electronic device. The popularity information may be of benefit to users in the location or to users of inherently portable devices, such as a mobile telephone or a laptop computer, that travel to the location. In one embodiment, position data relating to devices used to access websites is used to establish statistics regarding the most visited websites based on location. For instance, positioning data may be added to “webpage look-up/URL requests” that are made by the devices. This data may be transmitted to a server for deriving of the statistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications AB
    Inventor: Tomas Karl-Axel Wässingbo
  • Patent number: 8706725
    Abstract: Methods are provided for re-ranking documents based on user-specific features. Search results are received from a non-contextual ranking system such that the search results are not specific toward a particular user, such as the user who submitted the search query. Contextual signals are received and provide user-specific features that are used to re-rank documents so that the most important and relevant documents are listed at the top of the list of search results. Each of the user-specific features are evaluated and compared to determine a new position of each document. A set of contextual search results is then generated based on the new positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Peter R. Bailey, Sebastian De La Chica, Aidan Crook, Nikhil B. Dandekar, Daniel R. Schwartz, William D. Ramsey, Nick Craswell
  • Publication number: 20140108395
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for modifying a user profile for a recommendation algorithm are provided. A user is provided with electronic access to an item. The item may comprise one of a document, an article, a chart, a graphic, a report, a web page, or the like. User interaction with the item is enabled. The user interaction with the item is then electronically tracked and stored. The user's user profile used by a recommendation engine is then modified based on the tracked user interactions. The user interaction may comprise at least one of annotating, highlighting, modifying, customizing, adding comments to the item, and the like. The user modified item can be saved and details of the user interaction with the item may be used to modify the user profile. At least one of items or peer recommendations can then be provided to the user based on the modified user profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Gartner, Inc.
    Inventors: Nir Polonsky, Girish Malangi, Kevin Volpe
  • Patent number: 8700615
    Abstract: A system and method for improving the relevance of search results is disclosed. Voters who may be human searchers or guides may review search results or other review items associated with a search request or other reference item. A review may be activated based on a usage indicator(s) which may improve utilization of guides. A vote by a voter may be weighted based on a voting history associated with the voter and one or more reference voters who may be designated by the system. A voter may be presented with a group of items for review including simultaneously. A number of comparison voting sessions or elections may be used to determine a rating or ranking of a review item associated with a reference item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc
    Inventors: Scott A Jones, Thomas E Cooper
  • Patent number: 8688699
    Abstract: A method for content recommendation for a user, wherein a song or a video is recommended to the user and a confidence measure is determined for the recommended song. The confidence measure is displayed to the user, so the user may get more confidence into the recommendation of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: SONY Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Jana Eggink, Thomas Kemp, Wilhelm Hagg, Taufan Zimmer, Tomasz Feduszczak
  • Patent number: 8682888
    Abstract: A system for tasking, collecting, storing, and dispatching time-sensitive location-based information reports via an electronics communication network, comprising a central relational database management system, multiple computer-implemented services, and applications residing on computer-based mobile communication devices. The system provides: methods to convey the value of specific types of geospatial time-sensitive information from a world-wide population of information consumers to a world wide population of “eye witness” reporters (i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Inventor: Joseph C Smith
  • Publication number: 20140067799
    Abstract: Techniques to track and store music played at venues are described. A computer implemented application may create venue profiles for one or more venues. A venue profile may comprise a venue name, venue address, and one or more music genres indicative of the type of music played at the venue. The computer implemented application may collect, in real-time, music data from the one or more venues. The music data may comprise venue data, a song title, an artist name, and a date, the music data indicative of music played at the one or more venues. The computer implemented application may store the venue profiles and music data in a database where the data may be mined. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: CBS INTERACTIVE INC.
    Inventors: Michael Zolfo, Mona Fawzy
  • Patent number: 8666965
    Abstract: An Internet infrastructure supports searching of web links to select search results by processing browser activity information along with one or more of favorite lists, and related metadata, user profiles, and trends based on browser activity behavior and favorite behavior. A plurality of web browsers located on client device are incorporated with a browser activity-monitoring module that tracks user's Internet usage, processes this information, and sends this information periodically or upon user request to the server to aid in improving search operation results. The search engine server communicatively couples to the plurality of web browsers and supports delivery of search results/web links to the client device based upon a search string, browser activity information, and possibly the favorite lists and related metadata. The gathered browser activity information, favorite lists, and related metadata are stored in one or more server databases that are associated with the search engine server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Enpulz, L.L.C.
    Inventor: James D. Bennett
  • Patent number: 8661010
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for providing supplemental video content for third party websites is disclosed. In one embodiment, coded instructions are transmitted from a content enhancement server to a host server, for incorporation into the webpage source code. The host server is controlled by a first entity and the content enhancement server is controlled by a second entity commercially distinct from the first entity. Keywords are obtained by executing of the coded instructions in the webpage received in the client computer from the host server to send the address of the requested webpage to the content enhancement server, which generates supplemental substantive video content information for transmission to the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Hulu, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Chen-Min Lin, Bradley J. Suter
  • Patent number: 8661034
    Abstract: A networked peer and item recommendation system makes recommendations to users such as documents of interest and peers with whom the users may want to connect. User profile information is maintained in a profiles database. A log enables the collection of user behavior information. A cluster filtering algorithm determines a cluster that a querying user belongs to. A collaborative filtering algorithm locates other users having implicit and explicit profiles in the database that are similar to the profile of the querying user. A dynamic expert verification algorithm is associated with the collaborative filtering algorithm to verify the qualifications of users and produce bias towards users with higher quality interactions. A search engine returns items based on a keyword provided by the querying user. A sorting algorithm sorts the items returned by the cluster filtering algorithm, collaborative filtering algorithm and search engine for presentation to the querying user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Gartner, Inc.
    Inventors: Nir Polonsky, Girish Malangi, Brian Keif, Donatus Asumu, Chris Carroll, Malini Vittal
  • Publication number: 20140052722
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining computer optimization-based regimens and/or plans and/or programs for diet and health management are presented. A regimen and/or plan and/or program is generated by a computer (i) obtaining for an individual, a nutritional-based metabolic response as a function of time associated with a set of nutritional components, (ii) obtaining for the individual, an exercise-based metabolic response as a function of time associated a set of exercises available for performance by the individual, (iii) optimizing using computer optimization applied to the nutrition-based metabolic responses and the exercise-based metabolic responses, to determine a regimen defining for a time interval a sequence of one or more nutritional components to be ingested by the individual, and a sequence of one or more exercises to be performed by the individual, whereby one or more individual-based parameters are maintained in a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Inventors: Dimitris J. Bertsimas, Allison Kelly O'Hair
  • Patent number: 8655908
    Abstract: A method and system for predisposition modification are presented in which a set of attributes for selective modification of the attribute profile of an individual are determined to enable the individual to modify their predisposition for acquiring an attribute of interest. The attribute of interest can be input in the form of a query attribute along with a minimum strength of association value which serves as a threshold to ensure that the results will provide at least a minimum degree of statistical certainty that the individual will acquire the attribute of interest upon modifying their attribute profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Expanse Bioinformatics, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Alexander Kenedy, Charles Anthony Eldering
  • Publication number: 20140046937
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for ranking channel pages of a host system. Content channels may comprise content relating to a particular category or having a commonality. Explicit data provided by user input, and/or implicit data derived or received from a user device or third party may be used to generate explicit and/or implicit parameters. Based on the parameters, content channels may be ranked and displayed in an order based on the ranking, and/or a home content channel may be identified. The host system may therefore target a user with relevant content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventor: Don A Chennavasin
  • Patent number: 8650184
    Abstract: A method. The method includes receiving, at a computing device, data associated with a first plurality of consumers. The data comprises a combination of behavioral data and attitudinal data. The method also includes assigning a consumer of the first plurality of consumers to a first respective segments based on the received data, wherein the assigning is performed by the computing device. The method further includes calculating a goodness-of-fit score for the consumer of the first plurality of consumers for the first segment, wherein the calculating is performed by the computing device. Additionally, the method includes calculating a predicted goodness-of-fit score for a consumer of a second plurality of consumers for the first segment, the second plurality of consumers including at least the first plurality of consumers, wherein the calculating is performed by the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Twenty-Ten, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Kowalchuk, Sheldon Smith, David Diamond, Raymond Ferris
  • Patent number: 8645373
    Abstract: A computer implemented process encompasses the following steps: Identify the user's current media content library/ies; Analyze the content of those libraries, deriving a “taste signature” for the user from that analysis; Match the derived “taste signature” to other media content and to other users; and provide the user with recommendations based on that automatic matching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Omnifone Limited
    Inventors: Mark Knight, Christopher Evans, Tom Boswell
  • Patent number: 8645372
    Abstract: Enhanced computer- and network-based methods, systems, techniques are provided for retrieving more accurate and responsive search results when searching content for a designated entity using an off-the-shelf keyword-based search engine. For example, the embodiments described herein may be used to improve search results by eliminating off-topic results when presenting queries to an existing keyword-based search engine invoked by means of an API from an intermediating application. Example embodiments provide a Keyword-Based Search Enhancement System (“KBSES”), which enables intermediating applications to obtain information more closely related to user queries by enhancing such queries, on behalf of the user, with disambiguating information when deemed necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Evri, Inc.
    Inventors: Ted Diamond, Jisheng Liang, Jonathan Reichhold, Krzysztof Koperski
  • Publication number: 20140032523
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer implemented method is illustrated as including receiving selection data generated by a media player application, the selection data being related to digital content. Additionally, generating an instruction set that includes the selection data, the instruction set being formatted based upon a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) schema. Inserting the instruction set into a query portion of a URI. A method is also illustrated as including receiving a URI associated with digital content, the URI containing an instruction set in a query portion of the URI. Parsing the instruction set to retrieve selection data relating to the digital content. Further, the method may include retrieving the digital content based upon the selection data. Moreover, the method may include generating a data stream including the digital content. Additionally, the method may include transmitting the data stream including the digital content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: T. A. Dyvadheenam, Paresh Goel, Ayusman Sarangi, Ashish Duggal
  • Patent number: 8635216
    Abstract: An enhancement to a search engine is disclosed for prioritizing search results obtained from an information search engine such as those accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet and/or a corporate intranet). In response to a user search query, the enhanced search engine of the invention prioritizes the search results using stored information indicative of network sites: (a) previously visited by the user, and/or (b) to which the user has indicated an interest (or disinterest) in the content thereof. Additionally, the invention prioritizes the search results using stored information indicative of other users that are determined to have similar searching interests. Thus, since the stored information can dynamically change, repeated performances of the same search can present different initial, more user customized, portions of the search results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Hepworth, Paul Roller Michaelis
  • Patent number: 8635215
    Abstract: A method for brokering of know-how in various formats between users on an electronic Web service platform includes: allowing users access to the electronic Web service platform, requesting registration data from a user on the platform, managing interest area categories, receiving user offers for know-how in at least one interest area category, enabling searches of users for know-how in at least one interest area category, calculating and displaying a rating in respect of offers in at least one interest area category, approving to a selected offer an agreed exchange of know-how and a corresponding transfer of credit points, conveying selected know-how from the provider to the consumer and booking a corresponding transfer of credit points, and accepting and storing a rating given to the provider by the consumer in respect of the transferred know-how, wherein the rating is assigned to the interest area category of the transferred know-how.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Cyrill Osterwalder, Roger Caspar
  • Patent number: 8620915
    Abstract: An information server identifies a list of search results associated with a search query from a user. Each search result has an initial position in the list. The information server then identifies a user profile associated with the user. In some embodiments, the user profile includes a set of user-preferred search results that is determined at least in part from the user's search history and one or more supplemental search results that are deemed similar to at least one of the user-preferred search results. Among the list of search results, the information server identifies one or more search results that are associated with the supplemental search results. Finally, the information server reorders the list of search results by moving each of the identified search results from its initial position by an offset and then provides the reordered list of search results to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Y. Brukman, Bryan C. Horling, Oren E. Zamir
  • Patent number: 8600988
    Abstract: A distributed information network is constructed for gathering information from sites distributed across a globally accessible computer network, i.e., the Internet. The distributed information network preferably includes a root server that stores a list of multiple distributed sites each represented by metadata. A network browser delivers an information search request to the root server, which in response develops a profiled information search request. The information provider of each of the distributed sites stores metadata corresponding to information content that is retrievable in response to the profiled information search request for search results derivable from the information content to which the metadata correspond. A profiled information communication link between the root server and each of the multiple distribution sites enables formation of a path for delivery of the search results to a destination site, from a site or sites represented by the metadata of the profiled information search request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Thinkstream, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael K. Malone, Jon David Loucks, Robert K. Terhune, III, Cameron W. Cotrill
  • Patent number: 8595186
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for creating, publishing, sharing, and delivering mobile software applications called “mobile widgets” onto mobile devices. A system may include functionality to render a declaratory component of a widget, such as HTML, and also functionality to execute an imperative component of a widget, which may or may not be compiled and/or in a scripting or functional language. Mechanisms for providing common access to disparate device capabilities APIs are also provided, as are mechanisms for installing widgets onto mobile devices and managing those widgets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Plusmo LLC
    Inventors: Srinivas Mandyam, Krishna Vedati, Kelvin Voon-Kit Chong
  • Patent number: 8595228
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for establishing preferences for sites that are explicitly identified by a user by either a textual input or an acceptance in response to a recommendation, and adjusting the presentation of search results based on these preferences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Horling, Michael Y. Brukman, Owen Otto, Philip McDonnell, Kavi J. Goel, Paul G. Haahr
  • Patent number: 8589434
    Abstract: A system and method for developing a user's profile based on the user's interaction with content items. A module on the client rendering the content items or the service including the content items tracks the user's interactions with the content items and transmits the tracked data to a user analysis module. The user analysis module determines the topics associated with the interacted upon content items. The user analysis module then selects the topics for the user's profiles based on the received tracked data and the associated topics. The selected topics are mapped to topic clusters and the topic clusters are stored in association with the user profile. Recommendations for a user are made based on the topic clusters associated with the user'profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Liebald, Palash Nandy, Dasarathi Sampath, Junning Liu, Ye Niu, Christina Ilvento, Yu-To Chen
  • Patent number: 8583641
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for constructing a user profile using a content tag, a method of recommending digital content by using a user profile including a tag included in the digital content and a preference value for the tag. According to the methods and apparatus, a user profile is generated by using a content tag, and thus the taste of the user according to digital content consumption can be expressed in more varied ways. Also, by suggesting a method of generating a tag from web content, construction of a user profile for digital content having no tag is enabled. Furthermore, a tag extracted from digital content used by a user is included in a profile and it can be used for a variety of purposes, such as expansion of a comparison scope, use of preference keywords, providing of content links, and expansion of search scope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun-ju Choe, Cheol-ju Hwang, Min-ho Lee, Sung-hwan Choi, Won-dong Yun, Soo-hong Park, Jeong-rok Jang, Sang-wook Cho
  • Patent number: 8566310
    Abstract: The addition of a two-way filter to computer networks, such as the Internet, uses both the criteria of the information producer (or product/service provider) and the criteria of the information consumer (or customer) to specifically target consumers with useful information or special offers on products or services they need during a specific time frame or time frames. Two-way filtering also permits customers or information consumers to quickly identify available products or services or information they are specifically interested in without requiring the customer to review hundreds, if not thousands, of sources, since the returned results have been heavily filtered. Two-way filtering is particularly important when it is used to match the service area the service provider is working in during a particular day (or a particular period of time) with customers in that service area that may need the services of the service provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Inventors: Nazish Aslam, Mark Muir
  • Patent number: 8566311
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for subscribing to dynamic attributes. One or more users are notified of information having a plurality of attributes, including at least one dynamic attribute. According to one aspect of the invention, a user can enter a subscription request to be notified when the at least one dynamic attribute changes a value. For example, the subscription request can notify the user when the dynamic attribute (i) changes a value to one or more predefined values; (ii) changes to satisfy a user specified condition; or (iii) changes to a value within a specified range of values. The subscription request can optionally include one or more temporal conditions. For example, the temporal conditions can evaluate whether the dynamic attribute satisfied a value constraint during a given time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Avaya, Inc.
    Inventors: Joann J. Ordille, Nina M. Tandon, Qian Yang
  • Patent number: 8560537
    Abstract: Improved mobile advertisement syndication capabilities are disclosed for mobile communications facilities, such as cell phones. These and other capabilities are employed to improve delivery of mobile advertisements and their syndication, such as associating advertising content with websites or applications, to appropriate or desirable mobile communication facilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Jumptap, Inc.
    Inventors: Jorey Ramer, Adam Soroca, Dennis Doughty
  • Patent number: 8554768
    Abstract: This disclosure describes various exemplary application user interfaces, methods, and computer program products for information retrieval or search technology by automatically showing additional relevant search results based on user feedback. The search describes receiving a submitted query from a user, identifying multiple query search results in a relationship to the submitted query, and presenting the multiple query search results in a single structured presentation with a thumbs-up icon, a thumbs-down icon, or an unmarked status to enhance the user experience. Furthermore, the search results illustrate the relationships between each of the multiple query search results and the submitted query in a textual description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Gina D Venolia
  • Publication number: 20130262460
    Abstract: Content source owners may associate their sites with a user as the user's preferred source. According to the disclosed subject matter, a preference communication is received indicating that an identified content source is to be a preferred source for an identified user. A set of search results is obtained responsive to a search request from the identified user. The set of search results include at least one search result referencing content from the identified content source. The set of search results is rearranged according preferred sources associated with the identified user, including the identified content source, such that the search result referencing content from the identified content source is repositioned within the ordered set of search results to a more prominent position in the rearranged set of search results. A search results page is generated from the rearranged set of search results and returned to the identified user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Barlin, Simon P. King, Rahul Nair, Marc Eliot Davis, Imran Aziz
  • Patent number: 8548996
    Abstract: Ranking content items is disclosed. A user input is received from each of one or more users indicating an opinion of the user with respect to a content item included in a plurality of content items. Based at least in part on a number of users from whom user input has been received, a degree is determined to which a ranking of the content item relative to one or more other content items in the plurality of content items is determined by user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: PulsePoint, Inc.
    Inventors: Amra Q. Tareen, Erik Sundelof, Lawrence A. Birnbaum, Kristian J. Hammond, Sanjay C. Sood
  • Patent number: 8549029
    Abstract: A method for generating data enabling searching for content complements intended for terminals of a telecommunication network is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes selecting content from a terminal, generating identification information of the selected content, sending a marker generation request to a content complement server, and, in response to receiving the request, generating and saving a marker at the content complement server. The request includes the user's identification data and the identification information of the selected content. The marker includes the user's identification data, the identification information of the selected content, and search characteristics data enabling an additional search for content related to the selected content. A system, a terminal, and a server associated with the method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: GĂ©rard Delegue, Erwan Baynaud
  • Patent number: 8538958
    Abstract: Personalized services and targeted services demand the exploitation of context—say, context of an environment, context of a product, context of a service, and context of a customer or user or individual. In order for the personalized and targeted services to have a greater impact, the identified context used by a context aware processing engine needs to be accurate and current. Such an up-to-date context is called as context map and a system and method for generating a customer-specific context map involves the processing of customer transactions, abstracting and generalizing these transactions into entities, and inter-relating these entities. The context map, for example, is useful in ad targeting in mobile environments, and in quicker and efficient problem resolution in contact center environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Satyam Computer Services Limited of Mayfair Centre
    Inventors: Sridhar Varadarajan, Srividya Gopalan, Swetha Mukunda Kurup, G. S. Praveen Kumar
  • Patent number: 8522289
    Abstract: Methods and systems for processing multimedia content captured from a plurality of locations via one or more capturing devices include obtaining multimedia content from one or more capturing devices. The capturing devices identify a type of content being captured and/or location of capture. An interest type for multimedia content is obtained from a consuming user. The multimedia content from the capturing devices are searched based on the interest type of the consuming user. A subset of the multimedia content conforming to the interest type is presented in substantial real-time at the receiving devices of the consuming users. Feedback regarding the presented multimedia content is obtained from consuming users and communicated to the capturing devices in substantial real-time so as to influence future capture of multimedia content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Athellina Athsani, Chris W. Higgins, Marc Davis
  • Patent number: 8521735
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for an anonymous personalized recommendation is provided. The method includes receiving select server fingerprints selected from server fingerprints based on predetermined metrics. The server fingerprints correspond to a plurality of public entities and each server fingerprint includes encoded information about a corresponding public entity. The method also includes generating a user fingerprint based on user information associated with a user, the user fingerprint comprising encoded user information. The method further includes comparing the user fingerprint with the select server fingerprints to select a server fingerprint for recommendation, and generating a recommendation of a public entity corresponding to the server fingerprint for recommendation. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Shibl Mourad, Caitlin Kelly Phillips, Marc-Antoine Courteau, Philippe Beaudoin