Here is a new search-related patents awarded in the past week or so.
Selected published patent application follow. These are not comprehensive lists.
Awarded Patent
Amazon.com
+ Selecting prospective bidders to whom to promote an online auction based upon bidding history
Microsoft
+ System and method for performing click stream analysis
+ System and method for exposing instant messenger presence information on a mobile device
Published Patent Applications
Yahoo
+ Monetization Of Characteristic Values Predicted Using Network-Based Social Ties
A method is provided to predict a value for a particular characteristic of a particular user of network-based services. A plurality of other users, other than the particular user, is determined, wherein the particular user has social ties to the plurality of other users. The social ties may be discerned, for example, by examining connections provided by the network-based service. In some examples, the social ties may be inferred by other methods as well. A value is predicted for the particular characteristic of the particular user based on values associated with the particular characteristic of the other users, with whom the particular user is determined to have the social ties. The predicted value for the particular characteristic of the particular user is monetized, such as by selling advertising to be caused to be displayed to at least the particular user. For example, requested compensation for the advertising is determined based at least in part on the predicted value for the particular characteristic of the particular user.
+ Messenger System For Publishing Podcasts
The present invention relates to a messenger system adapted to support the creation and publication of podcast episodes (either audio or video) from communications made via the messenger system. The messenger system may be entirely server-based, may require the use of limited client side software or may be entirely client based. The messenger system allows a user to select that a call be recorded for later use causing the messenger software to store the various audio and any video streams provided from each party to the call. A user interface is then provided that allows the user, after the call, to edit, combine, modify, or add to the different audio and video streams as desired to create a single media file containing audio or audiovisual data. This media file may then be published as an episode to a podcast.
+ Apparatus and method for content annotation and conditional annotation retrieval in a search context
Computer systems and methods incorporate user annotations (metadata) regarding various pages or sites, including annotations by a querying user and by members of a trust network defined for the querying user into search and browsing of a corpus such as the World Wide Web. A trust network is defined for each user, and annotations by any member of the querying user’s trust network are made visible to the querying user during search and/or browsing of the corpus if the querying user and trust network members use similar queries to identify documents in the corpus. Users can also limit searches to content annotated by members of their trust networks or by members of a community selected by the user.
Microsoft
+ Using Offline Activity To Enhance Online Searching
Architecture for targeted advertising using offline user behavior information. Information relating to offline behavior can be collected from cell phones, geolocation systems, credit card information, restaurants, grocery stores, etc., and this information is aggregated and employed in connection with selecting and displaying targeted advertising to a user when online. Machine learning and reasoning can be employed to make inferences and dynamically tune advertisement processing. Offline user information can also be employed to enhance context-based searching when the user goes online. The ranking of search results and content for display can be modified as a function of offline behavior. A system is provided that facilitates online advertising based on at least offline activity using a profile component for aggregating offline behavior information of a user and generating a related user profile. An advertising component employs the user profile in connection with delivery of an advertisement to the user when online.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, January 10th, 2008 and is filed under Info Management and Retrieval, Intellectual Property, Search News.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.