Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080317292 | AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION OF DEVICES BASED ON BIOMETRIC DATA - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can obtain biometric data from a user as the user interacts with a device. Based upon the obtained biometric data, the architecture can determine an identity of the user and automatically apply settings associated with that particular user to the device. The settings can relate to a physical configuration of the device (or aspects, features, and/or peripherals of the device), as well as to a data set employed by the device (or components of the device). As such, a user of the device can benefit from enhanced efficiency, utility, and/or convenience. | 12-25-2008 |
20080318597 | INTENSITY-BASED MAPS - The claimed subject matter relates to a first architecture that can create an intensity map based upon intensity scores, and to a second architecture that can provide intensity scores and can request and receive the intensity map. Intensity scores can relate to an approval or a level of satisfaction of a current location of a user and can be conveniently provided, in some cases with a single keystroke (e.g., 0-9 from a conventional cell phone keypad) by, say, mobile device users. Numerous intensity scores can be received and aggregated to produce an intensity map of a given area or region. Portions of the intensity map can be provided to requesting devices, potentially filtered based upon a variety of criteria. As a result, the intensity map can provide in substantially real-time a visual indication of locations or entities that might be interesting to explore. | 12-25-2008 |
20080319773 | PERSONALIZED TRAVEL GUIDE - The claimed subject matter relates to architectures for providing and accessing a service that facilitates an enhanced travel experience. The architectures can determine a location of a subscribing mobile device, match a profile relating to the device with available guides for a site in proximity to the location, and transmit a notification to the device of the availability of the guide(s). The architecture can also provide incentives to third-parties for authoring guides or content for guides as well as tools and/or templates to assist in guide creation. In addition, the architecture can receive requests from the device for guides as well as facilitate the output of the guide on the subscribing device. | 12-25-2008 |
20080319827 | MINING IMPLICIT BEHAVIOR - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can monitor transactions between a content consumer and a user-interface that provides the content. The architecture can also monitor environment variables that relate to a content consumption environment. From one or both of these potential sources, the architecture can identify implicit behavior on the part of the content consumer that relates to the consumption of the content. The implicit behavior can be employed to determine or infer effects of the consumed content, which can supplement, enhance, or replace conventional explicit consumer feedback. | 12-25-2008 |
20080320126 | ENVIRONMENT SENSING FOR INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate an enhanced entertainment experience based upon interactivity between entertainment medium or content and a content consumer's environment. In one aspect, based upon features or condition of a content consumer's environment, entertainment content can be interactively selected or modified. In another aspect, based upon features included in the entertainment content, components or conditions extant in the environment can be interactively updated or modified. | 12-25-2008 |
20080320516 | TAILORED CHANNEL FOR CONTENT CONSUMPTION - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can establish a tailored and/or personalized content channel. The content channel can be interfaced with one or more devices, and can be configured to serve particular content or types of content as well as to filter particular content or types of content. The content can be selected or filtered based upon a wide variety of factors that can be expressly specified, or in some cases intelligently inferred. In addition, the architecture can provide detailed analysis of content and summarize various content consumption habits or histories. | 12-25-2008 |
20090049247 | MEDIA CACHE CONTROL INTERFACE - The apparent speed with which a media work is ripped to copy the work into a visible store is substantially reduced. When the media work is played, its content is cached onto a persistent, fast access storage media. If the user subsequently decides to rip the media work, the content of the cache is copied to a visible store in substantially less time than would be required to play the media work and convert it. The user thus perceives that the media work is ripped in a substantially shorter time, compared to that required for ripping the media work in a conventional manner. The ripping process may encode or transform the format of the content to a desired format for use within the visible store. Constraints may be imposed by the user to limit the cache, or the caching process may be hidden from the user. | 02-19-2009 |
20090113480 | NON-MEDIA-CENTRIC PACKAGING OF CONTENT - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can establish a tailored and/or personalized content channel based various aspects of a social network. The content channel can be interfaced with one or more devices, and can be configured to serve content based upon a content schedule. The content schedule can be programmed based upon selections or recommendations of a member of a user's social network. The architecture can further maintain presence information associated with a member of the social network, such as indicia of the member's current behavior or activity. | 04-30-2009 |
20090121894 | MAGIC WAND - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate rich interaction with and/or management of environmental components included in an environment. The architecture can exist in whole or in part in a housing that can resemble a wand or similar object. The architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation. In addition, the architecture can include an advisor component to provide contextual and/or comprehensive guidance in an intuitive manner. | 05-14-2009 |
20090132326 | INTEGRATING ADS WITH MEDIA - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can utilize special metadata to facilitate an improved advertising model in connection with media content delivery. The architecture can monitor a media player device and can launch a metadata interface on the media player device upon detection that a pause feature has been activated. Accordingly, while the media player device is paused (and therefore not presenting the media in a normal fashion), a user can interact with the metadata interface. The metadata interface can provide, e.g., advertisements or additional information related to elements or objects that exist in the media. In addition, the metadata interface can launch suitable applications in accordance with the special metadata. Additionally, the architecture can embed metadata in the media, which can be done in accordance with an advertiser bidding model. | 05-21-2009 |
20090150939 | SPANNING MULTIPLE MEDIUMS - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate a more robust experience in connection with content consumption. The architecture can span several mediums by way of distinct content channels in order to deliver contextual content and/or media in which a significant event has occurred. Contextual content or other media can be provided simultaneously with the active media, can be synchronized with the active media, and/or can be output to a single or multiple media devices. In addition, media can be appropriated paused while other media is provided and media segments can be recorded for imminent display, such as media segments that include significant events. | 06-11-2009 |
20090163272 | CONNECTED GAMING - Systems and methods are provided that facilitate a connected gaming experience for multiple players utilizing multiple disparate devices. A game service affords playing a game over a communication framework which can include wired and wireless local area and wide area networks, as well as access to a global positioning system. The game service allows users to play a game in multiple devices, seamlessly switching devices at desired times and locations. In addition, the game service affords community-driven development of a game, as well as customization, through the communication framework. The latter also facilitates exchange of various contents among players, and between a player and the game service: (a) news, (b) advertising, (c) alerts, and (d) participant's real-world positioning information. Real-world embedding into a game is facilitated by the game service in combination with global tracking information received through the communication framework. | 06-25-2009 |
20090215534 | MAGIC WAND - The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate rich interaction with and/or management of environmental components included in an environment. The architecture can exist in whole or in part in a housing that can resemble a wand or similar object. The architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation. In addition, the architecture can include an advisor component to provide contextual and/or comprehensive guidance in an intuitive manner. | 08-27-2009 |
20090282093 | MEDIA CONTENT PROGRAMMING, DELIVERY, AND CONSUMPTION - A media content programming, delivery, and consumption model is provided by which consumers can receive programming that is personalized to their tastes and interests and discover new media content that they will likely enjoy, without having to put in a lot of effort or needing to be technically adept. The received media content programming can then be played on a PC or portable media player. Consumers can access the media content programming from a cloud-based service with the same ease as tuning to a radio station, and then may simply enjoy the programming without needing to take any additional steps. However, unlike traditional linear programming, the programming here is curated so that the delivered content is highly relevant to the consumer. Navigation within a programmed sequence is enabled by skipping ahead or going back in a playlist, and consumers can learn more about particular content by interacting with rich metadata. | 11-12-2009 |
20090287987 | NON-DESTRUCTIVE MEDIA PRESENTATION DERIVATIVES - The claimed subject matter relates to various architectures that can, inter alia, facilitate creation of a synch file as well as facilitate interpretation of the synch file. Both creation and interpretation can be accomplished in conjunction with an original media asset. The synch file can include transformation commands that can operate on a presentation of the asset rather than upon the asset itself. Accordingly, what is actually perceived by a content consumer during a presentation of the asset need not be exactly what the asset creator fixed in a tangible medium. Rather, the content consumer can observe a derivative media presentation based upon interpretation of the synch file. | 11-19-2009 |
20090326689 | PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER HAVING A FLIP FORM FACTOR - A portable media player is configured with a flip form factor in which a flip cover is hingedly fixed to a main body portion of the player. The flip cover rotates about the hinge between open positions that expose the display screen and user controls of the player and a closed position that covers that screen and controls to keep them clean and protected against damage when the player is being used or transported. The flip cover includes a set of secondary user controls on its exterior surface so that the user may operate the player when the flip cover is in its closed position. The hinge is configured to provide sufficient frictional torque over its angular range of motion to enable the flip cover to operate as a built-in display stand to angle the display screen for comfortable viewing. The flip cover further provides additional surface area for personalization. | 12-31-2009 |
20090327035 | MEDIA CONTENT SERVICE FOR RENTING JUKEBOXES AND PLAYLISTS ADAPTED FOR PERSONAL MEDIA PLAYERS - An online media content service is adapted for use with a personal media player to provide targeted content to the player on a rental basis and is architected to enable users to access music using new models.. The targeted media content includes content that has special context or meaning to a user of the service by virtue, for example, of either being organized into a collection that appeals to the user, or by being related to the user through the user's social graph. In the first case, the targeted media content may illustratively include a set of media that has been selected to fulfill a theme or genre, and is made available to a user as a package to access and play for a limited period of time for a rental fee. In the second case, the targeted media content may illustratively include a collection of songs that are drawn from playlists of people that the service knows to be friends of the user and provided on a subscription basis. | 12-31-2009 |
20110069179 | NETWORK COORDINATED EVENT CAPTURE AND IMAGE STORAGE - A system and method are disclosed for coordinating different image capture devices at an event so that images captured by the different devices may form a cohesive and consistent image set. The system includes a group of image capture devices, referred to herein as an event capture group, wirelessly communicating with a remote server. The image capture devices in an event capture group may consist of still image cameras, video recorders, mobile phones and other devices capable of capturing images. The server coordinates the devices in a group before images are taken, so that the resultant images from the different devices are consistent with each other and may be aggregated into a single, cohesive image set. Images from different devices in the group may be uploaded during an event and organized on a remote database into the image set which may be viewed during or after the event. | 03-24-2011 |
20110154229 | MOSAIC IDENTITY - Techniques are disclosed herein for adapting user interaction with resources to facets of the user's identity. A user has multiple facets of their identity such as parent, employee, gamer and coach. The active facet of the user's identity may impact how the user interacts with resources when using their electronic devices. For example, the computing resources to which a user has access may be influenced by whether the user is acting as a parent or employee. A system is provided that adapts how the user interacts with resources available to a user based on one or more facets of the user's identity that are active at the particular time. The system may tailor search results to the active facet of the user's identity, provide product recommendations that are specific to the active facet the user's identity, etc. | 06-23-2011 |
20120095976 | FOLLOWING ONLINE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR TO ENHANCE SEARCH EXPERIENCE - Systems and methods are disclosed for customizing a user's experience with an application such as a search engine application. The user's experience is customized based on inferring a mood and/or interests of the user at least in part from an analysis of the user's posts on one or more social media sites. The search engine application is configured to include a user-following engine which follows a user's activities on social media websites. By tracking a user's posts and other activity on social media websites, and possibly those of his or her friends, the user-following engine is able to draw inferences about a user, including for example the user's emotional state, current trending interests, future plans, likes/dislikes and aspirations. The user-following engine may then customize the user's search experience based on these drawn inferences. | 04-19-2012 |
20120259788 | NON-DESTRUCTIVE MEDIA PRESENTATION DERIVATIVES - The claimed subject matter relates to various architectures that can, inter alia, facilitate creation of a synch file as well as facilitate interpretation of the synch file. Both creation and interpretation can be accomplished in conjunction with an original media asset. The synch file can include transformation commands that can operate on a presentation of the asset rather than upon the asset itself. Accordingly, what is actually perceived by a content consumer during a presentation of the asset need not be exactly what the asset creator fixed in a tangible medium. Rather, the content consumer can observe a derivative media presentation based upon interpretation of the synch file. | 10-11-2012 |
20120311641 | Techniques to Consume Content and Metadata - A client device may receive a request from a remote control device to capture a still image from content in a broadcast received at the client device. The client device may capture the still image from the content in the broadcast responsive to the request. The still image is transmitted for receipt and display at the remote control device. Image data is received from the remote control device that includes a portion of the still image displayed at the remote control device. The portion of the still image is selected by a user via a user interface output at the remote control device and includes an object to be identified using image recognition. | 12-06-2012 |