Abstract: A system and method automates a scheduled retrieval, storage, and access of media data. Media data is retrieved from an external source and downloaded to an end user media device storage for subsequent playback at the end user media device. Media data is accessible from the end user media device storage based upon criteria including a selection of the end user, rules regulating the media data, and whether a playback time of the media data is sufficient to retrieve additional media data. The system performs regularly scheduled dynamic controls to determine whether additional media data is required for continuous and uninterrupted access of the media data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for buffering streamed presentation data within a container file includes receiving one or more data streams from each of one or more presentation sources within the presentation, creating within the container file a virtual file for each of the one or more presentation sources, temporarily storing first data associated with a first data stream of a first presentation source in association with a first virtual file corresponding to the presentation source, determining a container file size, and temporarily storing additional data from the first data stream in place of at least a portion of the first data if the container file size is within a predetermined range of an identified maximum buffer size.

Abstract: In one embodiment, video content is rendered within a windowpane displayed upon graphical user interface (GUI), a curser is positioned within the GUI responsive to user input, and a graphical resizing overlay is superimposed over the windowpane to facilitate arbitrary resizing of the windowpane and corresponding video content by the user when the cursor is positioned over the windowpane. In another aspect of the invention, an application window including at least a first windowpane and a second windowpane is displayed within a GUI, video content having a first display size is rendered within the first windowpane, the first windowpane and the corresponding video content is resized by a first amount resulting in a second display size, and the second windowpane is dynamically resized by a second amount proportional to the first amount such that the video content remains unobstructed by the first and second windowpanes and the application window.

Abstract: A compact signal coding method and apparatus including obtaining cumulative probabilities for successive quantized samples of a signal, determine the direct probability for the leading one of the successive quantized samples, and encode the quantized sample based at least in part on the determined direct probability.

Abstract: A system for determining selections that a user is likely to be interested in. The determination is made based on the user's prior indicated preferences. The user designates his or her preferred selections as entries in a user's preference list. Entries in the user's list are compared with entries in the other users' lists. When a significant number of matches have been found between two lists, the unmatched entries of the other user's preference list are extracted. The unmatched entries are further processed. Those unmatched entries with a high correlation to the user's preference list are presented to the user as selections in which the user is likely to be interested.

Abstract: Multiple entity control of access restrictions for media playback may include a first entity receiving a request for a media resource hosted by a third-party entity, the first entity authorizing a user to access the requested media resource and providing an indication to the third-party entity that the user is authorized to access the requested media resource, the third-party entity authenticating the user based upon a qualification specification, and delivering the requested media resource to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preserving matrix-surround information in encoded audio/video includes a receiver operative to receive matrix-surround encoded audio signals via a modem, separate the audio signals into a frequency spectrum having discrete audio frequencies, and determine a cutoff threshold used to encode the matrix-surround encoded audio signals. The method and apparatus further includes a decoder operative to decode a first set of the audio frequencies below the determined cutoff threshold using a first matrix-surround preserving audio encoding method and to decode a second set of audio frequencies above the cutoff threshold using a second non matrix-surround preserving audio encoding method.

Abstract: Described is a method and apparatus for generating a customized dynamic virtual reality environment. The dynamic virtual reality environment communicates with a participant via a virtual personal assistant utilizing an input/output arrangement. The virtual personal assistant engages the participant in a natural language conversation to obtain the participant's preferences and personal information. The virtual personal assistant utilizes an artificial intelligence engine to recognize a plurality of natural languages. Information obtained from the conversation may be translated into a request for information, services or products. The virtual personal assistant may retrieve any of these from a plurality of remote servers via a communications network and present the data to the participant. Information obtained from the conversation may be used to evolve both the virtual reality environment and the virtual personal assistant.

Abstract: A system and method of the present invention cross-fade a first transmitted audio stream to a second transmitted audio stream, wherein both first and second audio streams represent the same original audio signal, but at different quality levels. A client computer receives timestamped packets of compressed encoded audio data from the first audio stream, decodes that data and resamples it to a highest sampling rate supported by playback equipment such as a sound card. A server computer responds to a change in available bandwidth, by transmitting timestamped packets of the second audio stream which correspond to a playback time earlier than that of the final transmitted packet of the first audio stream. The client computer buffers in a first buffer the decoded resampled samples from the final packets of the first audio stream, which represent a playback time period t1.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically managing data-type associations and relationships includes providing a first global data-type association ruleset including one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications, determining whether an updated global data-type association ruleset is available, and dynamically obtaining the updated global data-type association ruleset to facilitate modification of one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications locally installed on the client device.

Abstract: A decipher key based decipher with at least a portion of the decipher key dissolved into the decipher is disclosed. The decipher includes in-line instructions specifically designed to incrementally contribute to computation of Me Mod n, where e is a predetermined at least partially unique decipher key. In one embodiment, the decipher includes a first in-line instruction to set an output variable to equal to 1, and a second in-line instruction to set the output variable to equal to the square of the output variable modulus n. In another embodiment, the decipher includes in-line instructions that perform the incremental computation in accordance with an addition chain of e.