Abstract: An optical recording medium to be used for a retail activation solution is proposed. The optical recording medium is a modified ROM disk that can only be played after the application of an activation process. For this purpose at least a part of a reflective layer of a read-only area of the optical recording medium is replaced by a light sensitive layer stack that changes its reflectivity upon illumination. Also proposed are a method for producing such an optical recording medium as well as methods and apparatuses for initializing and/or activating such an optical recording medium.

Abstract: Two or more electronic devices are connected via a bus system, wherein one of the network devices controls other network devices. A first control application is uploaded from a first controlled device to the control device and a second control application is uploaded from a second controlled device into the first control application. The first and second controlled devices can be operated simultaneously using a single user interface shown on a display of the control device. The user interface of the first device is displayed as main user interface and the user interface of the second device is rendered within the main interface as reduced user interface, which includes only operation elements necessary for operation of the second device in combination with the first device. The generation of combined user interfaces is also possible when the second controlled device comprises features, which are not known at the production of the first controlled device.

Abstract: A pull tab apparatus may be easily connected to and disconnected from a slide fastener by a user. The pull tab apparatus includes a coil having a first end and a second end. The coil includes a first section and a second section. At least one of the first and second sections includes a plurality of layers and a path exists between the layers. One of the first and second sections includes a circular portion and the other one of the first and second sections includes a plurality of parallel portions coupled to the circular portion. A circular disc is inserted into the circular portion. A portion of the slide fastener is movable along the path from one of the first and second ends where the pull tab apparatus is disconnected from the slide fastener to a predetermined position where the pull tab apparatus is connected to the slide fastener.

Abstract: A magnetically latchable device embodied as a battery pack or a platform. The battery pack includes a case, a magnetic component engaging the case to latch the case to a portable device, an alignment member separate from the perimeter of the case to mate with the portable device when the case is magnetically latched to the portable device, an electrical conducting contact disposed within an aperture of the case to be electrically coupled to a circuit housed in the portable device when the case is magnetically latched to the portable device, and a power source disposed within the case and electrically coupled to the electrical conducting contact.

Abstract: A digital broadcast station is configured to turn around and add interactive programming to a television signal originally conveyed by a remote network. The remote network inserts trigger commands within the vertical blanking intervals (VBIs) of the television signal to control the loading and playing of the interactive program at the broadcast station. The protocol associated with the trigger commands allows commands to be repeated to thereby ensure that the interactive program is controlled correctly, even in the event that an original command was not received or was corrupted in the transmission. If a repeated trigger command is received by the broadcast station and the original command was not properly received, the interactive program source enters an error recovery state to determine the appropriate action for the interactive program source. For certain commands, such as continue, pause and stop, the interactive program source responds to the repeated command without further error compensation.

Abstract: Image signals are transcoded from a first format to a second format, by employing multi-tap horizontal and vertical filters. The first format has higher horizontal and vertical resolution than the second format. The multi-tap horizontal filter filters lines of the image signals to convert the horizontal resolution of the first format into the horizontal resolution of the second format, wherein the horizontal filter has a filter tap ratio selected in accordance with the horizontal ratio of the first format to the second format. The multi-tap vertical filter for filtering columns of the image signals to convert the vertical resolution of the first format into the vertical resolution of the second format, wherein the vertical filter has a filter tap ratio selected in accordance with the vertical ratio of the first format to the second format.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving and rendering Unicode text in multiple languages on a set top box is disclosed. The system includes a set top box which receives an application program from a broadcast station. The set top box executes the application program. The application program includes Unicode character encoding text for display on a television coupled to the set top box. An operating environment running on the set top box includes a Unicode encoding engine which the application program invokes to display Unicode text. The encoding engine determines the language of characters in the text and invokes a rendering engine corresponding to the language of each character, thus enabling characters from different languages to be mixed in the same text string. The rendering engine has specific knowledge of the language, such as rendering direction and context.

Abstract: A filtering circuit suitable for use in a video sample rate converter provides a constant direct current (DC) gain irrespective of realization errors, and reduces hardware requirements. The circuit includes an input terminal for receiving an input signal. A first delay unit delays the input signal to generate a first delayed signal. A subtracting unit subtracts the input signal from the first delayed signal to generate a difference signal. A second delay unit delays the difference signal to generate a second delayed signal. A reference delay unit delays the first delayed signal by a predetermined reference time period to generate a reference signal. A filtering unit filters the second delayed signal to generate a filtered signal. An adding unit adds the reference signal to the filtered signal to generate an output signal.

Abstract: A transactional server system for transferring subscriber information requests to information service providers, and methods of operating the same result in discouraging reconstruction of the subscriber information. The transactional server system comprises a subscriber platform which transfers an encrypted identification and a message request block. A transaction server is coupled to the subscriber platform to initiate a subscriber information request in response to the message request block and the encrypted identification, and transfer the message request block to the information service providers in response to subscriber information. A database server coupled to the transaction server and having a plurality of subscriber information receives the subscriber information request and decrypts the encrypted identification to provide the subscriber information to the transaction server.

Abstract: A system for providing security on an interactive television system. Two sets of interactive data, with time stamps, are separately sent to a remote location. At the remote location, the time stamps are checked against a remote clock, a time difference being noted for both sets of data. The two time differences are compared to determine if one set of data has been delayed as compared to the other. Non-delayed data can be used to update a game score for an interactive game. After the game is completed, the remote clock is compared to a central clock. the difference between the two clocks are compared to the time difference for non-delayed data to determine whether the entire aggregate of interactive data was delayed.

Abstract: An interactive television system where interactive information is inserted in the vertical blanking interval of a standard television signal or some other appropriate medium. The signal is received and decoded by a settop device which sends the decoder signal, via an infrared signal, to a handheld device. The system includes an interactive program authoring system, and programmer tables in the memory of the handheld device which store data for the various interactive events. This system allows a viewer to enter and exit events at any time without having to wait for information to be downloaded and without losing scores. Furthermore, this system allows many interactive programs to run concurrently over extended periods of time while maintaining cumulative scores in the handheld for each interactive program or series of programs.

Abstract: A method for displaying blended colors on a variable visual display is performed within a system by selecting two or more base colors to be blended, displaying the base colors at edge portions of a geometic display region having a shape based on the number of colors being blended, choosing a given number of intermediate colors to be generated in the blend, and generating the intermediate colors based on the relative distance from each intermediate color to each base color and a biasing factor which allows a user to increase the range of potential shades for a selected intermediate color given the same base colors. The resulting blend is displayed within the geometric display region on the variable visual display for a user who is then able to alter the blend in real-time, and/or isolate and store shade(s) of intermediate color(s) for future use.