Abstract: A communication system includes first and second devices which are matched to each other. At least one of the matched devices includes an input device for capturing content; a memory for storing the content, and a renderer configured to render the content under the control of at least one processor which is configured to affect rendering of the content on the first device and/or the second device in response to at least one trigger. The least one trigger may be generated in response to detection of a user of the first device; passage of time the content has been rendered since a previous trigger; location of the user; behavioral pattern of the user; and/or traffic flow patterns between the first device and the second device.

Abstract: A communication system includes first and second devices which are matched to each other. At least one of the matched devices includes an input device for capturing content; a memory for storing the content, and a renderer configured to render the content under the control of at least one processor which is configured to affect rendering of the content on the first device and/or the second device in response to at least one trigger. The least one trigger may be generated in response to detection of a user of the first device; passage of time the content has been rendered since a previous trigger; location of the user; behavioral pattern of the user; and/or traffic flow patterns between the first device and the second device.

Abstract: A method of reducing microjog errors in a disk drive having a data recording disk with data tracks and a transducer head positionable on the tracks. The head includes a writer element offset from a reader element. To reduce microjog errors, track squeeze is measured at a number of locations across the surface, wherein the squeeze is due to mis-positioning of the track relative to neighboring tracks. A microjog distance for the destination track is provided, and a microjog correction value based on the measured track squeeze is calculated. The correction value is applied to the microjog distance to obtain a corrected microjog distance that reduces microjog errors due to track squeeze.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to enable variable speed forwards or reverse play of motion-prediction coded sequences of video signal frames. Successive images of a sequence are MPEG encoded with some images of the sequence becoming I-frames and the remainder P- or B-frames. The frame data is formatted to sequences of fixed size data blocks (I,P,B) to form a data block stream into which further, information blocks (i) are inserted at periodic intervals. Each information block (i) carriers a pointer to the relative location in the data block stream of the first data block of the immediately preceding I-frame.

Abstract: A method for encouraging user (11) access to data services (20) by a portable communications device (18) configured both for communications and to access such data services. Content for presentation on another user device (14) includes embedded connection data allowing the portable device to access the services. The service provider provides incentives both to the user (11) in return for service, and to the provider of content in return for the embedding of the service connection data in the content.

Abstract: A method and system for the enabling of access to data services, together with devices, record carriers and signal formats for use with the same, comprises a consumer electronics device (14) arranged to receive content (24) and operable (36, 72) to present the same to a user; and a portable communications device (18) configured both for communications (70) and to access (50, 62) data services. Various means (40, 16, 48) are provided for transmitting data from the consumer electronics device (14) to the portable communications device (18). One or more services related to the content received by the consumer electronics device are provided (20), with connection data (26) for the service or services being delivered to the consumer electronics device (14) in conjunction with the content (24).

Abstract: A file management system is provided which enables the peaceful coexistence of two or more file systems from different applications (12,16) on the same medium (10). Available free space can be assigned to each of the file systems. Static partitioning of the medium in fixed sized parts is not necessary, as partition sizes can be dynamically changed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for adapting an entertainment schedule comprising a plurality of programme items. During the execution of the schedule, unforeseen conditions as represented by conditions data (106) may occur causing the data processor (101) to adapt the remaining portion of the schedule. The data processor co-operates with a tuner (118), a library server (120) and a timeshifter (122) to execute the adapted schedule. The timeshifter adjusts specified programme items received from the tuner (118) and library server (120) in conjunction with timeshifter storage (126) thereby ensuring a sequence of programme items are output at (128), the sequence comprising substantially the same material as contained in the original schedule prior to the occurrence of the condition.

Abstract: Digital television receiving equipment is provided with access to the Internet for downloading multimedia material relevant to a forthcoming television broadcast. This means that the multimedia material is locally cached for near instantaneous user access by a viewer during the actual television broadcast therefore avoiding any delay that could otherwise occur if real-time access to the Internet were to be attempted. Information on advance television broadcasts may be made available to the receiving equipment by an electronic programme guide. The electronic programme guide may include references to information located on the Internet relevant to forthcoming television broadcasts.

Abstract: A PES linearization scheme using small excitation bode measurements is provided to account for non-linearity characteristics during measurements of head element positions so to generate a more accurate read and write operation by a head element of a disk drive assembly. The PES linearization scheme of this invention provides making gain measurements as the head element moves across the track, and then integrating the result to get a relative PES profile. By then finding two points on the profile a known distance apart, we can multiply the profile by the appropriate gain factor to get an absolute PES profile. This profile can be then be used as a look up table to convert raw PES numbers into actual position.

Abstract: A compound cursor arrangement for use in a graphic user interface of a computer system is described. The compound cursor comprises an active part (38) which acts in conventional manner and is manoeuvred directly by user commands from an input device (22) such as a mouse or trackball. Accompanying the active portion (38) is a passive cursor (40) which follows the active cursor around the display when the separation between the two cursor parts exceed a theshold value (42). The function of the passive cursor (40) is to drag icons (34) selected by the active cursor (38) and deposited on the passive cursor, the active cursor the being freed for other tasks.

Abstract: Techniques for applying attenuation to audio signal frames in MPEG and similar compression systems are described, together with a method for mixing such signals without decompression. Each entry in a data frame (F) has an associated scale-factor index (SF), identifying a respective entry in a sequentially arranged and spaced table of scale-factor values. The attenuation technique (20), which suitably precedes mixing for at least one channel involves simple addition to scale factor index values to refer to a different scale-factor value. Respective sub-band data groups from each channel are compared in terms of their respective scale factors and following scaling the data for the two groups is added together. The scale-factor table spacing, which suitable corresponds to a 1 dB attenuation, is used for quick scaling of the results of the addition if overflow is determined to have occurred.

Abstract: Video data and TXT data are combined into a single image. The video data is representative of a mosaic of video windows. The TXT data form a plurality of TXT pages. Each TXT page is transparent in an area of one or more corresponding video windows. In an interactive application, a customized TXT page guides a user through a virtual world in video and TXT combined.

Abstract: A method and device for the perspective display of a portion of topographic coordinate information of points on the surface of the earth proximate to the current position of a vehicle travelling thereon, utilizes a coordinate transformation to generate a perspective image from an apparent point of view above and behind the vehicle in a viewing direction, which, with the direction of travel of the vehicle, defines an imaginary plane which is perpendicular to the surface of the earth.