Yahoo! Inc.

Verizon Media Inc.

Michael Lee Quoc

Matthew Fukuda

Nathanael Joe Hayashi

E Stanley Ott, Iv

Jonathan James Trevor

Edward Ho

Dan Wascovich

Edward Stanley Ott, Iv

Audrey Y Tsang

Daniel James Wascovich

F Randall Farmer

Leonard Lin

Andrew Baio

Russell Alexander Beattie

Gordon David Luk, Jr

Derek Dukes

Matthew McAlister

Micah Laaker

The present invention relates to a computerized system and method for syndicating independent review and rating information for use by third parties. In one aspect, the present invention includes a method and system for allowing web site operators to cause syndicated ratings from an independent rating provider to appear on web pages generated in response to requests to the operators' web sites, while preserving the independence of the content of the ratings and providing assurance to the viewing public of that independence. Aspects of the present invention allow for ratings from an independent rating provider to be provided in real time and further assists the rating provider in obtaining additional ratings through the web site operators' web pages.

Syndicated ratings and reviews

A device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a user to disambiguate an identity of a member included in a user's social network (USN), and towards enabling an operation to be performed based on information about the member. The USN is determined. The NID of the member is received. If the NID is non-unique within the USN, member distinctions are determined for members in the USN who are associated with the same NID. The member distinctions are sent to the user. The user makes a selection of one of the members associated with one of the member distinctions. Based on the selection, information about the selected member is received. The operation is enabled to be performed based on the information about the selected member. The operation may include addressing the selected member, enabling a communication between the user and the selected member, or the like.

Social namespace addressing for non-unique identifiers

A mobile device, system, and method are directed towards enabling an integrated display of live views. The integrated live views are generated by employing social networking information, including moods of a person, avatars, status of a member's activities including whether they are in an IM session, or the like. Integrated live views may include a live contact list, a group view, a friend view, an activity oriented view, a list of content, or the like, based on the mobile user's social networking information. By providing the mobile user with integrated live views of their social network, the mobile user may be able communicate with other members within the mobile social networking context, to obtain, and respond to invites from a social network member, provide opportunities for activities to other members, to grow their social network, and to consume content that is displayed relative to their social network.

Social networking for mobile devices

A device, system, and method are directed towards determining a start and/or an end time for a spontaneous event. A mobile device user creates a group for the spontaneous event, and sends the members an invite. During the event, members share media content and/or text messages with other members. Based, in part, on a flow of media content and/or text messages between the members, a determination of a start time and/or end time of the spontaneous event is automatically performed. The start time may be based on when the group is created and/or revised when a flow rate of the media content and/or messages exceed a threshold. The end time may be based on the flow rate being less than another threshold. The location of the spontaneous event may also be determined based on a location of the member's mobile devices during the event.

Collecting implicit information for determining context of event actions

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.

Instant contact searching and presentation by category

A device, system, and method are directed towards providing a recipient list for a message to be communicated within a group associated with an event. A recipient list for the message is defined based on identities of a plurality of members in the group. Ordering information for the recipient list is determined based on at least one characteristic of the event. Additional ordering information may also be determined based on other characteristics of other events. The recipient list is ordered based on the determined ordering information(s). The ordered recipient list is truncated if a length of the recipient list exceeds a first threshold. A selectable option to retrieve the (truncated) recipient list is provided with the message, if a length of the message plus a length if of the (truncated) recipient list exceeds a second threshold. Otherwise, the (truncated) recipient list is provided with the message.

Enabling display of a recipient list for a group text message

Systems and methods have been developed for managing multiple catalogs of files on a network. The systems and methods may manage a catalog of files with rights for sale and a catalog of rights presented for free public use. The systems and methods may manage these multiple catalogs via determining when one file should be moved from one catalog into another. The systems and methods may manage rights presented in the files, including rights offered for sale, rights offered for free use, where the managing may include changing the classification of those rights based on data relating to the files. The systems and methods may provide the ability to a user to research whether rights in the file are for sale.

Method and system for managing multiple catalogs of files on a network

A mobile device, system, and method are directed towards sharing multimedia information on a mobile device based at least in part on vitality information and other social networking information. Multimedia information may be received and/or synchronized on the mobile device based on a relationship between vitality information of members of a social network. The relationship may comprise a common membership in a group, a common multimedia usage behavior, a geographical proximity of members of the social network, a degree of separation of members of the social network, a common search behavior, or the like. Multimedia information captured on the mobile device may be manually and/or automatically annotated and shared with members of the social network. The multimedia information may be displayed in an integrated live view in conjunction with other social networking information.

Multimedia sharing in social networks for mobile devices

A system, apparatus, and method are directed to managing contextual based mobile searches. A context oriented user interface interprets inputs from a mobile user based on vitality information. In one embodiment, the input may be interpreted as a request to perform a context-based search over a network using at least some of the vitality information. Vitality information may include a location of the mobile device, a time of day, an event, information from the mobile user's calendar, past behavior of the mobile user, weather, social networking data, aggregate behaviors, or even information about proximity of a social contact. By employing vitality information to perform a mobile search, better search results and a richer user experience may be provided that includes a sense of community, a sense of presence (e.g., a sense of 'here-ness.'). In one embodiment, the mobile user may provide comments to others regarding the search results.

Contextual mobile local search based on social network vitality information

A device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a user to disambiguate an identity of a member included in a user's social network (USN), and towards enabling an operation to be performed based on information about the member. The USN is determined. The namespace identifier (NID) of the member is received. If the NID is non-unique within the USN, member distinctions are determined for members in the USN who are associated with the same NID. The member distinctions are sent to the user. The user makes a selection of one of the members associated with one of the member distinctions. Based on the selection, information about the selected member is received. The operation is enabled to be performed based on the information about the selected member. The operation may include addressing the selected member, enabling a communication between the user and the selected member, or the like.

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.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Michael Lee Quoc