Abstract: A method and system that facilitates prioritization of tasks available through the devices in a home network. The tasks are user level descriptions of the high-level actions a user and underlying devices can perform. By prioritizing tasks for a user, the present invention aims to minimize the effort required to compare and comprehend the usefulness and feasibility of tasks. In doing so, the number of tasks possible to a user can be reduced and the highest priority task for a given user and device can be used by the application software as the suggested ‘most likely’ task for the user.

Abstract: A method and system for authentication between electronic devices with reduced user intervention is provided. An authentication process for electronic devices (e.g., CE devices) establishes ownership for secure communication, with reduced user involvement. Device ownership trust establishment allows secured/authenticated communication between electronic devices. The process binds a device to an owner such that the authentication only verifies the authenticity of a device, and verifies the ownership of the device to ensure authentication. This ensures that a device is a valid device that has not been tampered with, and ensures a device has a trusted owner. Ownership binding to a device can be verified and established by trusted third parties without user intervention.

Abstract: A method of representing user tasks to be performed by one or more of a plurality of electronic devices in a task orchestration system. Each device includes therein a function description specifying a function that the device can perform. The function descriptions are obtained from one or more of the devices, task descriptions that describe device functionalities required for certain tasks are obtained, and task suggestion are generated based on the obtained device function descriptions and task descriptions. Each task suggestion represents a user task as an abstraction of on or more of the obtained device descriptions and task descriptions. The tasks suggestion are displayed on a display for the user to select from, wherein the user selected task suggestion is to be performed by orchestration (automation) of one or more of the devices based on task descriptions that use device functionalities described in the device function descriptions.

Abstract: In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided comprising: receiving application data from a first application on the first device, wherein the application is designed to automatically send application data pertaining to a first service to the server; determining if the first device is a member of a collection group or a control group; when the first device is a member of a collection group, sending the application data to one or more other devices that are members of the collection group to allow the other members of the collection group to provide a version of the first service having unfiltered application data; and when the first device is a member of a control group, sending some, but not all, of the application data to particular one or more other devices that are members of the control group, based on a stored set of rules, to allow the other members of the control group to provide a version of the first service having filtered application data.

Abstract: In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided comprising: receiving application data from a primary mobile device, wherein the application data is received via hooks designed to automatically send the application data received by or sent from an application on the primary mobile device; and sending the application data to one or more secondary mobile devices that are registered to the primary mobile device, wherein each of the secondary mobile devices are resource limited devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides a service for sharing, managing, and storing group-related information using existing technology relating to mobile devices, TVs, server computers, and distributed networks. Users in a defined group, such a family, can use devices, such as smart phones or tablets, to get updates from other users or to send information about themselves. The information can be displayed on authorized devices, some of which are generally used to display information, such as TVs. The content type of the communication is determined. The communication is stored in a database on the central server if the communication is a broadcast message or an event message. If the communication is a query message, the central sever responds to the message. If it is an update message, the database in the central server is updated. The group information is displayed in real-time on one or more devices and is combined in one place.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for providing access to information of potential interest to a user. Closed-caption information is analyzed to find related information on the Internet. User interactions with a TV which receives programming including closed-caption information are monitored to determine user interests or topics.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating information searching for a user of an electronic device is provided. Facilitating searches involves obtaining information about the user interests, identifying potential data of interest to the user, extracting data related to said data of interest to the user, and collecting the extracted related data for presentation to the user on the device.

Abstract: A method and system for providing access to information via a supplementary device is provided. User access to primary information via a primary device is monitored. Key information related to the primary content is obtained by extracting and analyzing metadata sources for the primary information. Then, supplementary information related to the primary information is obtained based on the key information. The supplementary information is provided for user access via the supplementary device.

Abstract: A method of unifying the different, device-specific and platform-specific access control lists (ACL) for different users and user groups in a home network. The home network has networked heterogeneous devices and hosting where a user is presented with a consistent, single view of ACL on home-wide users and user groups. Users in the home network, therefore, do not need to control ACL for device-specific users and user groups on each individual device. Instead, a user controls the home-wide ACL for home-wide users and user groups. The changes to home-wide ACL for home-wide users and user groups are propagated to individual devices. Further, changes on individual devices can be made to device-specific ACL for device-specific users and user groups. Such changes are subsequently propagated to the home-wide ACL for home-wide users and user groups.

Abstract: A method for operating a telephony server in a home network is provided, comprising: receiving a first registration action from a first telephony control point in the home network, the first registration action including an identification of a first user within a first telephony control point; supplying a first authentication identifier to the first telephony control point, wherein the first authentication identifier is bound to both the first telephony control point and the first user; receiving an invoked action granting a telephony action from the first telephony control point, wherein the invoked action includes an authentication identifier; determining if the authentication identifier received in the invoked action matches the authentication identifier bound to the user which the telephony action involves; and executing the telephony action if the authentication information received in the invoked action matches the authentication identifier bound to the user which the telephony action involves.

Abstract: A method is provided comprising: receiving a constant bit rate video stream representing a single video from a video source via a managed broadband connection; converting the constant bit rate video stream into a single non-adaptive bit rate video stream by modifying a video transport stack of the video to be compatible with a home device media player video transport stack; modifying a video control stack of the video to be compatible with a device in a home network; adding a home networking transport stack to the video stream, wherein the home networking transport stack is such that it would appear to the device in the home network as if the video stream came from a server local to the home network; and delivering the video stream to a device in the home network.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for providing access to information of potential interest to a user. Closed-caption information is analyzed to find related information on the Internet. User interactions with a TV which receives programming including closed-caption information are monitored to determine user interests. The related closed-caption information is analyzed to determine key information therein. The key information is used for searching for information in available resources such as the Internet, and the search results are used to make recommendations to the user about information of potential interest to the user.

Abstract: A method of aggregating control in a first network and a second network, the first network having first devices and the second network having second devices. A communication channel is established between the first and second networks; from the first network the second devices in the second network are discovered through the communication channel; and from the first network one of the second devices in the second network is controlled through the communication channel. The first and second network can be connected but isolated. Further, the first and second networks can implement different network protocols, or the same network protocol.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating information searching for a user of an electronic device is provided. Facilitating searches involves obtaining information about the user interests, identifying potential data of interest to the user, extracting data related to said data of interest to the user, and collecting the extracted related data for presentation to the user on the device.

Abstract: A method and system for providing access to information via a supplementary device is provided. User access to primary information via a primary device is monitored. Key information related to the primary content is obtained by extracting and analyzing metadata sources for the primary information. Then, supplementary information related to the primary information is obtained based on the key information. The supplementary information is provided for user access via the supplementary device.

Abstract: A method of representing user tasks to be performed by one or more of a plurality of electronic devices in a task orchestration system. Each device includes therein a function description specifying a function that the device can perform. The function descriptions are obtained from one or more of the devices, task descriptions that describe device functionalities required for certain tasks are obtained, and task suggestion are generated based on the obtained device function descriptions and task descriptions. Each task suggestion represents a user task as an abstraction of on or more of the obtained device descriptions and task descriptions. The tasks suggestion are displayed on a display for the user to select from, wherein the user selected task suggestion is to be performed by orchestration (automation) of one or more of the devices based on task descriptions that use device functionalities described in the device function descriptions.

Abstract: A method and system implementing a process for suggesting search queries on an electronic device is provided. The process involves displaying terms related to content accessed by a user for selection by the user, obtaining one or more key terms related to a user-selected term, and displaying the one or more key terms to the user as query suggestions corresponding to the selected term. Obtaining one or more key terms involves obtaining one or more key terms related to the selected term, based on local content information and/or external content information.

Abstract: In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method for allowing a device on a home network to access a service outside the home network is provided, the method comprising: receiving, at a server outside the home network, a registration message from the service; storing details about the service in a storage accessible by the server, wherein the details include an address for the service; receiving, at the server, a request to locate a service, wherein the request is received from the home network; locating details about a matching service stored in the storage, wherein the matching service meets criteria specified in the request from the home network; and providing the details about the matching service to the home network, enabling the device to directly contact the matching service using the address specified in the details about the matching service.

Abstract: A method and system for extracting relevant information from content metadata is provided. User access to content is monitored. A set of extraction rules for information extraction is selected. Key information is extracted from metadata for the content based on the selected extraction rules. Additionally, a type for the content can be determined, and a set of extraction rules is selected based on the content type. The key information is used in queries for searching information of potential interest to the user, related to the content accessed.