Abstract: A consumer apparatus is made an intuitive component of a user-interface to a topical server. A specific user-interaction with the apparatus or its proxy on the home network causes a request to be sent to a specific server on the Internet based on a predefined URL. The home network receives a particular web page from the server with content information dedicated to the context of use of the apparatus.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a program includes defining a scene as a portrayal of an emotion of a first character and identifying each scene within a first program to apportion the first program into a series of scenes. An emotional profile of the first program is built according to the series of scenes. Recommendation of a program includes correlating the emotional profile of the first program with a user preference profile.

Abstract: An electronic file, e.g., an MP3 file, is partitioned into a sequence of segments at the server side. The first segment is played out upon downloading. While the first segment is being played out, the second is being downloaded and buffered so that it is available when the play out of the first segment is completed. While playing out a current one of the segments, next one(s) of the segments are being downloaded and buffered. This partitioning and sequential play out enables to emulate streaming of a file and to minimize latency while downloading an electronic file.

Abstract: Embodiments of a digital content distribution system are disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of digital content promotion are disclosed.

Abstract: A server system enables a subscriber to select a specific broadcast program for recording and a specific location and time frame for play-out of the recorded program.

Abstract: A hand-held information processing device, such as a mobile phone, has a thumb wheel that lets the user scan a circular array of options. Each respective one of the options is represented by a respective audio output that gets played out when the wheel is turned a notch up or down. This enables the user to select an option with one hand and without having to look at the device. It also allows for a form factor smaller than that of a conventional mobile phones since a keypad is not needed for entering digits to make a call from a personalized directory.

Abstract: An ID is being calculated in a manner distributed among devices of the user's personal area network (PAN). The devices communicate in a wireless manner. A server runs a simulation of the PAN. If the server and the PAN calculate matching results, it is assumed that the user's ID is correct for purposes of conditional access. The distribution of the calculation of the ID among the user's PAN devices and its, for practical purposes, stochastic nature render the system very hard to hack.

Abstract: To detect a potential virus-infected control script in a networking system, visual representations of control structures and operations effected by a suspect script are presented to a user. A visual representation of the control links that are contained within the suspect script is presented to the user, preferably in a manner such that inappropriate links and/or device states are easily recognized. To further assist in the identification of potential aberrant behavior, a manual or automated simulation process allows the user to visually observe the changes of state of appliances in response to control stimuli, based on the instructions contained in the suspect script.

Abstract: A control network for home appliances comprises a module for interfacing an appliance to the network. The module adopts the identity of the appliance when the module and the appliance are being interconnected. The appliance comprises a tag, e.g., in its power plug, with identifying information that gets read by the module and transferred to a controller. The module itself can have a location dependent identifier to enable topology dependent software applications.

Abstract: A hand-held information processing device, such as a mobile phone, has a thumb wheel that lets the user scan a circular array of options. Each respective one of the options is represented by a respective audio output that gets played out when the wheel is turned a notch up or down. This enables the user to select an option with one hand and without having to look at the device. It also allows for a form factor smaller than that of a conventional mobile phones since a keypad is not needed for entering digits to make a call from a personalized directory.

Abstract: An information processing system has first and second physical components represented by a first and second software objects. Both objects have properties that are changeable through calls to the objects. The system enables registering a property route linking a first property of the first object to a second property of the second object so that a change in the first property causes the second call being issued to the second object upon invoking the property route. The input call to the first object comprises an identifier enabling to conditionally invoke the route. In this manner, routes belonging to different scenarios are being kept independent so that the system operates more reliable that without scenario identifiers.

Abstract: Tasking systems and methods are provided that support user interfaces for displaying objects, the displayed objects enabling user access to resources that provide for effecting tasks among the system and devices of the systems' environment. More particularly, tasking systems and methods are provided that support the foregoing features, wherein the systems and methods support clustering operations respecting such task-associated objects so as to enhance the effecting of the associated tasks, such clustering operations responding to context. The clustering operations preferably are both adaptive and dynamic. Tasking systems and methods preferably support the tracking of selected states, including, as examples, one or more of environment states, device states, and system states. Tracked states typically also include states respecting other relevant criteria, such as temporal criteria.

Abstract: The Internet is searched in order to find resources that provide streamable audio such as live Internet broadcasts. The resources are identified based on their file extension and are categorized according to, e.g., the natural language or music style. The user is enabled to browse the collection based on textual or musical input.

Abstract: An electronic device has a UI that provides first user-selectable options. Second user selectable options are made available upon selection of a specific one of the first options. An information resolution of the first options, when rendered, differs from the information resolution of the second options when rendered. Also, a first modality of user interaction with the UI for selecting from the first options differs from a second modality of user interaction with the UI for selecting from the second options.

Abstract: A “content re-entry” feature is provided that allows a user to return to an indicated point in a content stream, after being “distracted” by meta-information. Each time a user, or application, begins to follow a related or alternative content (a distraction path), a re-entry point in the original content stream is recorded, thereby facilitating a return to the point at which the distraction occurred. In a broadcast presentation, an access to meta-information is integrated with the storage of content material. Each time a user requests access to meta-information, a recording device is automatically activated to record the content material and to store the location of the start of the recording. When the user terminates the presentation of the meta-information, the presentation of the content material is automatically resumed at the stored location.

Abstract: A geographic region has a network of beacons. Each beacon transmits a short-range facilitation signal for receipt on a user's mobile communication device. The facilitation signal initiates associating the facilitation signal with a service and conditionally alerts the user to the service via the device dependent on a user profile. The user-profile and the association between facilitation signal and service are user-programmable.

Abstract: The Internet is searched in order to find resources that provide streamable audio such as live Internet broadcasts. The resources are identified based on their file extension and are categorized according to, e.g., the natural language or music style. The user is enabled to browse the collection based on textual or musical input.

Abstract: A server system enables a subscriber to select a specific broadcast program for recording and a specific location and time frame for play-out of the recorded program.

Abstract: Home networks of different software architectures are integrated with each other. References to software representations of devices and services on a first one of the networks are automatically created. The references are semantically sufficient to enable automatic creation of at least partly functionally equivalent software representations for a second one of the networks so as to make the devices and services of the first network accessible from the second network.