Leland Stanford Junior University

Yahoo! Inc.

Other

Google Inc.

Intuit, Inc.

Navera, Inc.

Trustnode, Inc.

Michael I Mills

Roy D Pea

Joseph H Rosen

Kenneth Wayne Dauber

Eric M Hoffert

Peter W Stevenson

Kevin C Dunn

Ronald Jacoby

Michael Hoch

Kumiko Tanaka Toft

Richard Carl Gossweiler, Iii

Krishna Asur Bharat

Sushant Kumar

Anthony Lionel Creed

Cameron A Marlow

Philip McKay

Paul Fontes

Yoav Shoham

Roger Urrabazo

Justin M Glaeser

Aline Baeck

Kumiko T Toft

John La

Eric Chin Lin

Sharla Kay Fullerton

Roger Bradley-Jungemann

Erwin S Tam

Noah D Shaffer

Vincent J Hoon

Rod Perkins

Eric Del Balso

Manlio Armando Lo Conte

The systems and methods of the present invention provide for a number of improvements to the TV consumption process, including personalization, community viewing, shared presence and context, messaging, access to ratings and recommendations (including community reviews), alerts, etc. One method that the present invention provides allows for the indication of a given user's context to be provided to other users, such as users in the given user's social network. The method comprises generating an indication of a change in context for a given user, the context comprising information regarding an action of the given user. The indication of the change in context for the given user is propagated to one or more users in the social network for the given user. The indication of the change in context of the given user is presented to users in the given user's social network in conjunction with TV content.

Framework for providing digital home services

Systems and methods for providing a gesture-based interface are provided. In some aspects, depth data indicative of a person interacting with one or more display devices is received. The one or more display devices display a plurality of columns. Each of the plurality of columns includes a plurality of icons. A column corresponding to a position of the person with respect to the one or more display devices is determined using the depth data. The column is from among the plurality of columns displayed at the one or more display devices. A signal for expanding a predetermined icon in the column corresponding to the position of the person with respect to the one or more display devices is provided.

Providing a gesture-based interface

Implementations are directed to accessing social network data of a user, including relationship data representative of relationships between the user and a plurality of entities associated with the user by at least one social network service, the social network data including profile data descriptive of the plurality of entities, the profile data including a profile for each of the plurality of entities and one or more attributes within each profile, the profile data including a plurality of values for the attribute, wherein the one or more attributes represent at least one of an intensity of interaction with the user, the plurality of values representing intensities of interaction with the user, and a social distance from the user, the plurality of values further representing social distances from the user, determining a subset of the plurality of entities, and determining being based on at least one of the one or more attributes.

Processing socially networked entities

The present invention provides electronic methods and apparatus for interactively authoring, sharing and analyzing digital video content. Methods for authoring include displaying visual data, defining each traversal as a time-based sequence of frames and annotating and storing a record of the traversal and its associated audio records. Defining the traversal Includes interactively panning the visual data by positioning an overlay window relative to the visual data and zooming in or out by resizing the overlay window. In alternative embodiments, the visual data may be displayed in a rectangular layout or a cylindrical layout. The methods are practiced using an integrated graphical interface, including an overview region displaying the visual data, a detail region displaying current data within the overlay window, and a worksheet region displaying a list of previously stored annotated traversal records. In a further aspect, the worksheet region list of annotated traversal records is published in a web document accessible via network using a standard HTML browser, and further annotations may be added by a community of network users. Analytical methods are also provided in which data markers corresponding to traversal records are plotted against an interactive abstract map enabling users to shift between levels of abstraction in exploring the video record.

Interactive point-of-view authoring of digital video content using a resizable overlay window and a cylindrical layout

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of an application. During operation, the system obtains a visual annotation of a user interface for the application, in which the visual annotation corresponds to a user issue with the user interface. Next, the system uses the visual annotation to update a spatial map of user issues with the user interface. Finally, the system uses the visual annotation and the spatial map to facilitate use of the application by an end user.

Visual annotations and spatial maps for facilitating application use

The present invention employs branded virtual characters across multiple network platforms throughout various stages of complex transactions (eg, selling insurance). These characters initially engage prospective customers on a network platform, such as a social network, and persist over time across other network platforms (eg, university and company websites) to educate consumers until they are ready to purchase&#x2014;e.g., from their 'trusted advisor'&#x2014;particular products and services offered by various providers. An extensible configuration tool ('Config Tool') is provided to simplify the continued development of such a system, as well as customization of individual Product Modules (e.g., a Life Insurance Module) by product and service providers (e.g., insurance companies and employers) and other third-party developers (before and during runtime). This Config Tool provides a variety of extension points permitting virtual characters to be added and their appearance and behavior modified, along with the details of the products and services being offered.

Configurable interactive assistant

The present invention provides electronic methods and apparatus for interactively authoring, sharing and analyzing digital video content. Methods for authoring include displaying visual data, defining each traversal as a time-based sequence of frames and annotating and storing a record of the traversal and its associated audio records. Defining the traversal includes interactively panning the visual data by positioning an overlay window relative to the visual data and zooming in or out by resizing the overlay window. In alternative embodiments, the visual data may be displayed in a rectangular layout or a cylindrical layout. The methods are practiced using an integrated graphical interface, including an overview region displaying the visual data, a detail region displaying current data within the overlay window, and a worksheet region displaying a list of previously stored annotated traversal records. In a further aspect, the worksheet region list of annotated traversal records is published in a web document accessible via network using a standard HTML browser, and further annotations may be added by a community of network users. Analytical methods are also provided in which data markers corresponding to traversal records are plotted against an interactive abstract map enabling users to shift between levels of abstraction in exploring the video record.

Methods and apparatus for interactive map-based analysis of digital video content

The present invention includes systems and methods employing branded virtual characters across multiple network platforms throughout various stages of complex transactions (eg, selling insurance). These characters initially engage prospective customers on a network platform, such as a social network, and persist over time across other network platforms (eg, university and company websites) to educate consumers until they are ready to purchase&#x2014;from their 'trusted advisor'&#x2014;particular products and services offered by various providers. Even after completing transactions, these characters continue to provide various services, such as notifying a customer whose circumstances have changed of a relevant product or service, while remaining available to answer questions and provide information upon demand. By employing a semi-automated model, the system of the present invention can answer many questions via predetermined vignettes and automated answers generated by expert systems, while still utilizing live human experts (often transparently) when necessary.

Persistent sales agent for complex online transactions

Methods are provided for creating a composite program module within a computing ecosystem. The ecosystem comprises physical and/or virtual computing resources of a company, department or other organization. When a user discovers a grouping of modules that is useful to him, the ecosystem or his workspace allows him to create a composite module that comprises the group of modules. He can then access their combined functionality by activating just the composite module, in which case all the modules are automatically opened, without having to activate each one individually. Further, the ecosystem may suggest complementary program modules to a user based on his pattern of activity with one or more other modules. A composite program module may be created to include a suggested complementary module, or just modules discovered independently by the user.

Creating a composite program module in a computing ecosystem

Systems and methods are provided to implement a number of improvements to the consumption process for television (and other services), including personalization, community viewing, shared presence and context, messaging, access to ratings and recommendations (including community reviews), alerts, etc. A content distribution server manages the delivery of television, messaging, on demand audio or video, online gaming, and other entertainment and information services to a plurality of client devices (e.g., televisions, personal computers, enhanced telephones, etc.). The server components include a television application component, messaging component, and application components that integrate the various services to deliver, for example, enhanced television, which includes television broadcast enhanced with messaging services, Internet access, informational alerts, and/or the like. Informational alerts allow a user to customize the timing and types of alerts being presented in parallel with the delivery of other services, such as television broadcast or online gaming.

Informational alert messaging for digital home services

Methods and apparatus for interactive network sharing of digital video content

A system and method for matching candidates and placement providers through trusted recommenders without the need for the recommenders' direct engagement. The method includes receiving input from a provider regarding a recommender of candidates and from a candidate regarding a recommendation for that candidate by the recommender. A first trust score for the recommender is calculated, in accordance with a number of providers having a trust relationship with the recommender. A second trust score is calculated for the candidate with respect to a given provider, in accordance with the first trust score for the recommender, a trust relationship between the provider and the recommender, and a trust relationship between the candidate and the recommender. An ordered list of candidates is generated for the provider, in accordance with the second trust score.

System and method for facilitating trusted recommendations

The present invention is directed to a system and method for visualizing information, e.g., information regarding a sporting event. The method may comprise identifying an event type and generating a plurality of buttons, the plurality of buttons arranged in a button hierarchy. A first level of the button hierarchy comprising one or more first level buttons is displayed with a lens further displayed on a given one of the one or more first level buttons, the lens operative to present first level data for the given first level button.

System and method for the visualization of sports information

Persistent sales agent for complex transactions

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Michael I Mills