Abstract: The invention relates to composing a lighting atmosphere from an abstract description for example a lighting atmosphere specified in XML, wherein the lighting atmosphere is generated by several lighting devices, by automatically rendering the desired lighting atmosphere from the abstract description. The abstract description describes the type of light with certain lighting parameters desired at certain semantic locations at certain semantic times. This abstract atmosphere description is automatically transferred to a specific instance of a lighting system (14, 16, 18). The invention has the main advantage that it allows to create light scenes and lighting atmospheres at a high level of abstraction without requiring the definition of a lighting atmosphere or scene by setting the intensity, color, etc. for single lighting units or devices which can be very time consuming and cumbersome, particularly with large and complex lighting systems comprising many lighting devices.

Abstract: Networked control systems and methods include a plurality of devices connected to a network. At least one device has a logical address that includes a device type and a device location in an environment of the device in a user readable and understandable format, such as English or other languages. The system further includes a processor connectable to the network and configured to execute control logic using the logical addresses. A memory is provided for storing a mapping from the logical address to a physical network address of the device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a light control system (10) with a user interface (12) for interactively changing settings in a lighting system, particularly a user interface enabling easy and comfortable interactive changes of light scenes created by a lighting system. A basic idea of the invention is to graphically represent a scenery to be lit such as a shop with furnishings and several targets for lighting effects such as mannequins and clothing racks with a user interface, and to offer a user to activate locations and targets of interest and to select lighting effects for a selected location or target of the scenery to be lit. In an embodiment of the invention, the user interface (12) is adapted to graphically represent a scenery to be lit (50) and to allow selection of locations and targets (52, 54, 56, 58) of the scenery to be lit (50) and lighting effects for a selected location or target.

Abstract: The invention relates to a networked control system, comprising a plurality of devices (100a, 100b, 100c), wherein each device (100a, 100b, 100c) is specified by a corresponding device logic and means (332) for collecting the device logics of the plurality of devices (100a, 100b, 100c) and for specifying a runtime behaviour of at least one device (100b) of the plurality of devices (100a, 100b, 100c) based on a device logic corresponding to the at least one device (100b). The networked control system further comprises means (334) for generating at least one device independent control logic program which defines the runtime behaviour of the at least one device (100b) and an apparatus for translating the at least one device independent control logic program into a device specific control logic code which is assigned to a selected device (100c).

Abstract: The invention relates to composing a lighting atmosphere from an abstract description for example a lighting atmosphere specified in XML, wherein the lighting atmosphere is generated by several lighting devices, by automatically rendering the desired lighting atmosphere from the abstract description. The abstract description describes the type of light with certain lighting parameters desired at certain semantic locations at certain semantic times. This abstract atmosphere description is automatically transferred to a specific instance of a lighting system (14, 16, 18). The invention has the main advantage that it allows to create light scenes and lighting atmospheres at a high level of abstraction without requiring the definition of a lighting atmosphere or scene by setting the intensity, color, etc. for single lighting units or devices which can be very time consuming and cumbersome, particularly with large and complex lighting systems comprising many lighting devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to automatically verifying the possibility of rendering a lighting atmosphere from an abstract description, for example from a lighting atmosphere specified in XML (Extensible Markup Language) independent of a specific lighting infrastructure and of a room layout. A basic idea of the invention is to translate the possibilities of a lighting infrastructure into so called light element templates. A light element template contains an indication of the possibilities of the lighting infrastructure at a certain semantic location, for example in a shop or a home in which the lighting infrastructure is provided. For every type of light effect of a lighting infrastructure, a different light element template may be created. This allows to automatically verify the possibility of rendering a lighting atmosphere from an abstract description in a lighting infrastructure at an early stage of the lighting atmosphere design process.

Abstract: A networked control system (100) includes a plurality of devices connected to a network. At least one device (120) has a logical address that includes a device type, a device owner, an intended device function and a device feature and/or a device location in an environment of the device. The control logic for the at least one device (120) is designed and executed using the logical address, whereby the execution is performed by processor (110), either in distributed fashion by an embedded processor (110) of the at least one device (120) or centrally by a central processor (110) connectable to the network (100). A memory (130), which may be centralized and/or distributed, is provided for storing a mapping from the logical address to a physical network address of the device (120).

Abstract: The system, apparatus and method, of the present application offers the viewer a set of typical virtual channel types based on some predefined or definable category, e.g., news channel, which includes predefined default settings and behavior. These typical virtual channel ‘templates’ make it very easy for a viewer to specify a virtual channel. For example, for a news channel, the default behavior is to only keep the most current coverage, for a series, the default behavior is to keep all until watched. Such a typical virtual channel can be selected explicitly or implicitly. In addition, a virtual channel wizard is provided by the system, apparatus, and method of the present invention that interactively guides a viewer through setting up own templates.

Abstract: A method and system for transferring information from a base system (110) to a mobile system (120) based on a history of usage of information at the base system (110). Recently used files at the base system (110) are transferred to the mobile system (120), without express user interaction. Select files or directories may be marked as ‘never download’, but absent this designation, any file on the base system (110) is a potential candidate for downloading to a mobile system (120). Rules are established to prioritize (220) download candidates, as well as to determine how much (240) of the candidate information to download. In a preferred embodiment, the downloading occurs on a continuing basis (315-335), so that an explicit download command need not be executed. This downloading is configured to occur in a non-interfering manner with explicit download systems and methods (340-360). Security schemes may also be included to avoid security breaches associated with an automated download.

Abstract: A watermark is embedded into a content stream including at least a clock value that relates to a time of embedding the clock value and an initial clock value representing the start of the content stream. A receiver extracts from the content stream the embedded watermark including the clock value. The receiver retrieves a portion of a script that corresponds to the content and the clock value. The script is utilized to produce one or more sensory effects that are output in an effects signal for an effects controller. The effect signal is produced in synchronization with the rendering of the content stream. In one embodiment, a content identifier may be embedded into the watermark. The receiver extracts from the watermark the content identifier and retrieves a script that corresponds to the content identifier.

Abstract: A content stream (60) and a script (50) are synchronized for outputting one or more sensory effects in a multimedia system. A fingerprint is calculated (22) from a portion of the content stream (60). A time value is determined that corresponds to the fingerprint. The time value may be stored in a fingerprint database (24) that is accessed utilizing the fingerprint and thereby, the time value is retrieved. A script clock (26) is synchronized to the time value and thereby, to the portion of the content stream (60). The portion of the content stream (60) is rendered in synchronization with the script utilizing the synchronized script clock (26). The script (50) is utilized to produce one or more sensory effects that are output in an effects signal (32) for an effects controller (34). The effects signal (32) is produced in synchronization with the rendering of the portion of the content stream (14).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for enabling to browse a plurality of stored images in which a plurality of the images (101) are displayed. Each image has at least one label (103) associated therewith. Each label comprises at least one attribute and an associated value. A representation of the label is provided. At least one attribute can be selected and at least a further one of the images having the same value as that of the selected attribute is retrieved.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method of providing conditional access to a data content item for a number of users, where the data content item is associated with a digital right that provides a user the right to access the data content item a predetermined number of times. The data content item is arranged in a number of subparts and the digital right is arranged in a number of sub-rights (100), initially designated as available sub-rights (101), where each available sub-right (101) provides a user the right to access a subpart of the data content item. When a user is granted (new) access to a content item a number of available sub-rights (101) is reserved. In this way, it is ensured in a very simple way that if a user in a multi-user scenario pauses access (also for a prolonged time) to the data content item then there will be sub-rights available so that the content may be accessed at a later time even if another user of the group starts spending sub-rights immediately after.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, an interface device and system of computational devices for enabling starting of sessions from a first to a second network and to a computer program product performing the method. A name and service query is received (68) in an interface from a first computational device communicating via the first network concerning a second device in the second network. The query includes a first address of the second network in a first addressing realm. A second address and a service port number of the second device in a second addressing realm is looked up (70), the first address and a session port number are bound to the second address and the service port number (76), and the query is answered with a message comprising the first address and session port number (78).

Abstract: A method is provided for providing a possibility of starting a communication session from a public or global data network, such as the Internet, to a private or local data network, such as a residential home network, via a gateway device (18) connecting the public and the private network. The gateway device comprises a Network Address Translation (NAT) functionality, concealing for the public network the addressing realm of the private network, but also customarily blocking the starting of sessions from the public network. According to the method provided, a client device (10) connected to the public network can provide the possibility of starting a session to a server device (14) connected to the private network by performing an explicit remote access request directed toward the server device, involving the exchange of remote access request messages (20, 22) between the client, gateway, and server devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for supporting a plurality of activities which includes a plurality of terminals for interacting with said activities. The system allows the user to relocate activities from one terminal to another. The relocation can be simplified by means of a physical token representing the activity to be relocated. Terminals are coupled to receptacles for receiving the physical tokens. If a token is removed from a receptacle, the activity is associated with the token. If the token is inserted into another receptacle, the activity is resumed at the terminal coupled to the other receptacle.

Abstract: A method, transmitter and transmission system for transmitting an MPEG-2 transport stream, wherein a portion of the offered transport stream (20) is selected and transmitted as a partial transport stream (27). When the elementary stream containing the PCR (24) is not part of the selected portion, a new elementary stream (26) containing only the PCR is created and transmitted instead of the original elementary stream (24). This is done by copying the relevant information from the packets in the original elementary stream (24) into new packets.

Abstract: Transmission system for transmitting an MPEG-2 transport stream from a transmitter (10) to a receiver (14), provided with a return channel (16) through which the receiver (14) can transmit selection criteria for the selection of MPEG-2 sections to the transmitter (10). The transmitter (10) has a selector (38) which receives the desired criteria and then filters the sections according to these criteria before transmission.

Abstract: A transmitter (10) for transmitting a multiplex signal (20) containing a number of tables with information about the signal (11) to a receiver (12), capable of selecting some or all of these tables (26) from the signal (20) and storing them on a table storage medium (22). The stored tables (27) are transmitted for example when the receiver (12) requests them, or when the information therein is updated. By storing these tables in the transmitter (10), the problem that the receiver has to wait for them to occur in the multiplex signal (10) is overcome.

Abstract: A home control system for automatic detection and warning of abnormal behavior includes a unit for observing behavior in a predetermined area under surveillance, a unit for processing an output of observed behavior from the unit for observing, and a pattern recognition module for recognizing whether the observed behavior is associated with predefined normal behaviors. The detection of predetermined normal behavior in progress leads to a provision of an anticipatory action. Upon recognition that the observed behavior is abnormal, an alarm signal is triggered to remind the user.