| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080208812 | Instant contact searching and presentation by category - 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. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080235084 | EMPLOYING MATCHING OF EVENT CHARACTERISTICS TO SUGGEST ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF AN EVENT - A device, system, and method are directed towards determining a suggested characteristic for an event. At least two events are determined. In one embodiment, at least one characteristic is determined for one of the event. A plurality of other characteristics is determined for the other event. The characteristics of the two events may be determined implicitly from communications during the events or from user input. Based on a relationship between the determined characteristics, the suggested characteristic for the event is then determined. In one embodiment, the relationship is defined as a match of characteristics. The event may then be modified based on the suggested characteristic. For example, a suggested member may be invited to join the event, or the event's time, location, or name may be changed. If the other event is current or pending, the event and the other event may be combined. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080288452 | SERVICE USING REFERRER STRINGS TO IMPROVE ADVERTISEMENT TARGETING - Query information in an indication of a referral to a web page is used to characterize the web page, e.g., for targeting advertisements and/or other supplemental content to display in association with the web page or in the process of responding to subsequent search engine queries. A referral indication may be provided by the publisher web page, indicating a referral from a search engine service to the publisher web page based on an activation of one of a plurality of search results. The referral indication, and sometimes other information as well, is processed to cause determination therefrom of characteristics of the publisher web page. Thus, for example, based at least in part on the determined characteristics, supplemental content may be determined to be displayed in association with the content of the publisher web page. In addition, the determined characteristics may be used by a search engine service in the process of responding to search queries. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080288640 | AUTOMATED TAGGING OF SYNDICATION DATA FEEDS - One aspect is a method of providing information relevant to a query. Syndication data feeds are processed, the syndication data feeds regarding the contents of publisher web pages. The processing of the syndication data feeds includes, for each syndication data feed, causing determination from that syndication data feed of at least one tag to associate with that syndication data feed and causing the at least one tag to be stored in association with an indication of syndication data feed information corresponding to that syndication data feed. The query is received, and the query is processed in view of the stored tags. Based thereon, an indication is provided of syndication data feed information corresponding to at least one syndication data feed. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080288865 | APPLICATION WITH IN-CONTEXT VIDEO ASSISTANCE - At least one computing device provides user assistance functionality associated with an application. The application is executed, including causing at least one user interface to be displayed via which a user may interact with the application. Each user interface corresponds to a particular function. For each function, in a portion of the user interface corresponding to that function, a user interface element is caused to be provided that, when activated, causes a user assistance video to be played regarding that function. Executing applications are thus provided associated in-context user assistance video tutorials. The users of the application are provided a mechanism to access the user assistance video tutorials in the context of the interface for which the help is sought. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090049211 | ESTIMATING BACKEND PROCESSING TIME FOR RETRIEVING AND PROCESSING DATA AND DISPLAYING APPROPRIATE SUPPLEMENTAL CONTENT - A method is complementary to processing a retrieve and process pipe specification. The pipe specification is characterized by at least one constituent pipe, each constituent pipe being characterized by at least one of a group consisting of an input node and an output node. The input node is configured to input data, such as a syndication data feed or other data accessible via a web service and the output node is configured to output data, such as a syndication data feed. At least one of the constituent pipes includes a module configured to retrieve data via a web service, such as a source syndication data feed. The wires are configured according to the retrieve and process pipe specification. An amount of time to process the pipe specification is estimated, including an amount of time to retrieve data via the web services as specified in the pipe specification. Based at least in part on the estimated amount of time, appropriate supplemental content is determined to present to a user while the pipe specification is being actually processed. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090049379 | USER INTERFACE TO BROWSE SYNDICATION DATA MIXING MODULE CONFIGURATIONS - A user interface is configured for browsing pipes. The pipes are characterized by a plurality of metadata values, including metadata values not discernible from the pipes themselves. Display is caused of a first list of pipe indications for pipes characterized by metadata values, of at least a first category of metadata, satisfying particular criteria. Also, display is caused of a first list of metadata values for at least a second category of metadata, other than the first category of metadata, the pipes of the first list of pipe indications being categorized by the metadata values of the first list of metadata values. Display is caused of a second list of pipe indications characterized by a selected at least one of the metadata values of the received first list of metadata values, as well as of a second list of metadata values, the pipes of the second list of pipe indications being categorized by the metadata values of the second list of metadata values. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090119610 | AGENT TO OFFER IN-CONTEXT HELP - User assistance functionality is associated with an application. The application is executed, including receiving input from a user to dynamically define a configuration of modules which may then be interpreted or compiled for execution. The configuration of modules may be, for example, a pipe, which is a configuration of constituent pipes, each constituent pipe having an input and an output for inputting and outputting, respectively, a syndication data feed, and the constituent pipes connected by wires for transmission of the syndication data feeds among the pipes. As the configuration of modules is being dynamically defined based on user input, which includes sequentially configuring a plurality of intermediate arrangements of constituent modules, an application assistance interface is dynamically determined to be displayed based on a context of a current one of the plurality of intermediate arrangements of constituent modules. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20110072125 | EMPLOYING MATCHING OF EVENT CHARACTERISTICS TO SUGGEST ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF AN EVENT - A device, system, and method are directed towards determining a suggested characteristic for an event. At least two events are determined. In one embodiment, at least one characteristic is determined for one of the event. A plurality of other characteristics is determined for the other event. The characteristics of the two events may be determined implicitly from communications during the events or from user input. Based on a relationship between the determined characteristics, the suggested characteristic for the event is then determined. In one embodiment, the relationship is defined as a match of characteristics. The event may then be modified based on the suggested characteristic. For example, a suggested member may be invited to join the event, or the event's time, location, or name may be changed. If the other event is current or pending, the event and the other event may be combined. | 03-24-2011 |
