| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20090063551 | ADDRESSEE-DEFINED MAIL ADDRESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD - A mail delivery system and method for delivery of mail to addressees are disclosed. The system is particularly suitable for implementation in the context of an email or similar electronic messaging system, and is particularly useful for managing and/or discouraging unsolicited junk mail. The system comprises a plurality of unique delivery addresses, each for a corresponding addressee, and a plurality of delivery codes. The delivery codes are generally defined or otherwise controlled by the addressees, with each addressee controlling a specific subset of the delivery codes. Any given delivery code does not comprise a unique delivery address or any essential portion thereof, and instead comprises distinct, essentially arbitrary addressee-controlled information. The method comprises addressing a selected piece of the mail with a selected delivery address, and associating a selected delivery code with the selected delivery address of the piece of mail. The selected delivery code may be (and from the mail sender's viewpoint, preferably is) one defined by the addressee of the particular piece of mail. The method further comprises delivering the piece of mail to the addressee if the delivery address is associated with a valid delivery code defined by the addressee, and dispatching the piece of mail as directed by the addressee, if it does not have a valid, addressee-defined delivery code. For example, mail lacking a valid delivery code may be deleted or destroyed without delivering to the addressee. The system further comprises means for performing steps of the method, such as an application operable in a computer memory. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090094327 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAPPING A SITE ON A WIDE AREA NETWORK - A method and system for organizing and displaying information about Internet Web pages on Web maps are disclosed. Web maps display a summary of the information that a Web page provides access to, in a format that facilitates a rapid assessment of what may be accessed through a Web site's home page, or through any Web page on the Web site. Preferably, Web maps are displayed on a Web page, or within a frame of a Web page, by an Internet browser application. A set of Web maps may be automatically generated by a search engine or directory in response to a user's search request. Alternatively, a user may request that a Web map be produced for a particular Web page of interest. The Web maps are preferably generated by a Web server, or by an application running in the background of a user's computer, so that the user may perform other tasks on the user's computer while the Web maps are being generated. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090287569 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING AUDIO ADVERTISEMENTS IN A COMPUTER NETWORK - A method and apparatus for providing audio advertisements in a computer network enables Web sites to deliver audio advertisements that cannot be bypassed by a visitor. More particularly, an advertising or sponsoring Web site receives a request from at least one user for delivery of a user-selected Web page associated with the Web site. The Web site selects at least one audio advertisement from a plurality of audio advertisements for delivery to the user in conjunction with the user-selected Web page. The Web site then delivers the audio advertisement to the user via the network in a format that precludes the user from controlling the manner of playback of the audio advertisement. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100287368 | METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR HOSTING INFORMATION EXCHANGE GROUPS ON A WIDE AREA NETWORK - A method and system for hosting information exchange groups on a wide area network is disclosed, using various tools for promoting topical organization and self-evolution of the information exchange groups, and of a system of information exchange groups. These tools include methods for providing user rating of posts within the exchange group, for rating and ranking users of the exchange group, for rating and ranking links to related information pages and especially to related exchange groups operating according to the methods of the invention, and for continuously updating rating and ranking information. Additionally, methods are provided for users to found exchange groups, to filter information in exchange groups according to specified user preferences, and to protect private information from inadvertent disclosure to other users of the exchange group. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110082754 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING INTERNET ADVERTISING SERVICE - A method and apparatus for providing advertising service in a computer network is provided. This method and apparatus further comprises receiving a request from a user via this computer network to view a Web page, providing conditions to the user for viewing this Web page, delivering this Web page to the user, determining if the user has met the conditions required for viewing this Web page, and terminating access of the user to this Web page if these conditions are not met. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110238662 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SEARCHING A WIDE AREA NETWORK - A method and system for searching a wide area network that enables users to find the information they seek more quickly and more easily than prior art search engines are disclosed. The method employs various innovative processes that can be included separately or in combination in different embodiments of the invention to improve searching on a wide area network. These processes include a process for making use of a user's prior search queries for query definition; a process for similarly making use of prior search queries by other users; a process for expanding and clarifying the meaning of queries; a process for including paid and other preferred results in an overall query result; a process for using user evaluation data from previous search query results to identify results that should be included or removed from a current result; a process for executing the selected search query, or set of queries, on one or more search engines, collecting the search results and combining the search results; a process for removing subordinate pages from a search result; a process for testing Web pages that appear on a search result, and removing or flagging pages which are unresponsive or slow to respond; a process for ranking search results by applying a set of ranking factors; a pre-caching process enabling faster viewing of search result; a process for providing links to a set of related Webrooms; a process for providing a set of Web maps for Web pages identified in the search results; and a process for integrating user evaluation of the content and usefulness of the Web pages provided by a search and other user data for system use in enhancing search effectiveness. | 09-29-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080309671 | AVATAR EYE CONTROL IN A MULTI-USER ANIMATION ENVIRONMENT - In a multi-participant modeled virtual reality environment, avatars are modeled beings that include moveable eyes creating the impression of an apparent gaze direction. Control of eye movement may be performed autonomously using software to select and prioritize targets in a visual field. Sequence and duration of apparent gaze may then be controlled using automatically determined priorities. Optionally, user preferences for object characteristics may be factored into determining priority of apparent gaze. Resulting modeled avatars are rendered on client displays to provide more lifelike and interesting avatar depictions with shifting gaze directions. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090109228 | TIME-DEPENDENT CLIENT INACTIVITY INDICIA IN A MULTI-USER ANIMATION ENVIRONMENT - A method for managing a multi-user animation platform is disclosed. A three-dimensional space within a computer memory is modeled. An avatar of a client is located within the three-dimensional space, the avatar being graphically represented by a three-dimensional figure within the three-dimensional space. The avatar is responsive to client input commands, and the three-dimensional figure includes a graphical representation of client activity. The client input commands are monitored to determine client activity. The graphical representation of client activity is then altered according to an inactivity scheme when client input commands are not detected. Following a predetermined period of client inactivity, the inactivity scheme varies non-repetitively with time. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090112906 | MULTI-USER ANIMATION COUPLED TO BULLETIN BOARD - A multi-user animation process receives input from multiple remote clients to manipulate avatars through a modeled 3-D environment. Each user is represented by an avatar. The 3-D environment and avatar position/location data is provided to client workstations, which display a simulated environment visible to all participants. A text or speech-based bulletin board application is coupled to the animation process. The bulletin board application receives text or speech input from the multiple remote users and publishes the input in a public forum. The bulletin board application maintains multiple forums organized by topic. Access or participation to particular forums is coordinated with the animation process, such that each user may be permitted access to a forum only when the user's avatar is located within a designated room or region of the modeled 3-D environment. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090141023 | SELECTIVE FILTERING OF USER INPUT DATA IN A MULTI-USER VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT - A multi-user animation process provides a modeled three-dimensional (“3D”) environment and virtual reality (“VR”) data to remote clients. The VR data comprises data for animating avatars in the modeled 3D environment. The remote clients provide input data including an ignore signal in response to commands from corresponding users. The multi-user animation process receives the input data, aggregates the input data from each of the remote clients, filters the aggregated input data in response to the ignore signal by removing the input data of a selected one of the remote clients from the aggregated input data, generates updated VR data for each of the remote clients using the filtered aggregated input data and provides an updated modeled 3D environment and the updated VR data to the remote clients. The remote clients display the updated modeled 3D environment and the updated VR data to the corresponding users. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20100070859 | MULTI-INSTANCE, MULTI-USER ANIMATION PLATFORMS - A multi-instance, multi-user animation platform includes a plurality of modeled parallel dimensions in a computer memory. Each of the parallel dimensions may be an independent model of a physical, three-dimensional space having corresponding features such that the parallel dimensions are recognizable as counterparts to each other. Avatars are located within corresponding ones of the parallel dimensions so as to prevent over-population of any one of the parallel dimensions by avatars. Avatars are animated within different ones of the parallel dimensions using input from respective users to provide virtual-reality data. The virtual-reality data may be configured to cause remote clients to output an animated display of a corresponding one of the parallel dimensions and avatars therein. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20110018870 | MULTI-USER ANIMATION COUPLED TO BULLETIN BOARD - A multi-user animation process receives input from multiple remote clients to manipulate avatars through a modeled 3-D environment. Each user is represented by an avatar. The 3-D environment and avatar position/location data is provided to client workstations, which display a simulated environment visible to all participants. A text or speech-based bulletin board application is coupled to the animation process. The bulletin board application receives text or speech input from the multiple remote users and publishes the input in a public forum. The bulletin board application maintains multiple forums organized by topic. Access or participation to particular forums is coordinated with the animation process, such that each user may be permitted access to a forum only when the user's avatar is located within a designated room or region of the modeled 3-D environment. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110269519 | GAMING METHOD - A gaming method operates to provide expert card-counting information to some or all participants, in exchange for a premium. The premium may be a cash payment, a reduction in the prize amount or betting odds, some combinations of the foregoing, or any other useful remuneration. The house retains its edge via the premium. The method may be implemented for play at a physical or virtual card table. | 11-03-2011 |
