Abstract: Disclosed is a method of associating, at a secondary device, secondary media content with primary media content being output at a primary device. The method includes receiving, at the secondary device, first information based upon the primary content being output at the primary device, wherein the first information includes at least one of an audio and a visual signal, determining at the secondary device second information corresponding to the first information, receiving at the secondary device one or more portions of secondary media content that have been made available by a third device, determining at the secondary device whether one or more of the portions of the secondary media content match one or more portions of the second information, and taking at least one further action upon determining that there is a match.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a microphone that receives an audio signal that includes a spoken trigger phrase, and a processor that is electrically coupled to the microphone. The processor measures characteristics of the audio signal, and determines, based on the measured characteristics, whether the spoken trigger phrase is acceptable for trigger phrase model training. If the spoken trigger phrase is determined not to be acceptable for trigger phrase model training, the processor rejects the trigger phrase for trigger phrase model training.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for allowing a fallback from downloading and presenting a three-dimensional (3D) media content item to a 2D version of the same content item. During the download, a triggering condition is noted, such as network congestion or resource starvation on the receiving device. The receiving device requests a fallback and then begins to receive the 2D version of the media content item. (Generally, the 2D content item is downloaded beginning at a point specified by the recipient device rather than from the beginning.) The 2D version is presented to the user of the recipient device in place of the 3D version. If the triggering condition is resolved, then the download and presentation can resume in 3D, either on the request of the recipient device or by the download server noting the resolution of the triggering condition.

Abstract: Determination of content for presentation by a client device based on item usage data captured by a sensor network is disclosed. Data describing usage of one or more items at a location is received from a sensor network associated with the location. Content is received from a server and a subset of the received content is selected based on attributes of the data from the sensor network and attributes of the content. The subset of the received content is transmitted to a client device for presentation. In one embodiment, data describing interaction with the subset of the received content is received from the client device and transmitted to a content distribution server for use in selecting additional content. In an embodiment, second content determined by the server using interaction with the subset of the received content and data from the sensor network is received from the server.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for syncing multiple electronic devices for collective audio playback. According to certain aspects, a master device connects (218) to a slave device via a wireless connection. The master device calculates (224) a network latency via a series of network latency pings with the slave device and sends (225) the network latency to the slave device. Further, the master devices sends (232) a portion of an audio file as well as a timing instruction including a system time to the slave device. The master device initiates (234) playback of the portion of the audio file and the slave devices initiates (236) playback of the portion of the audio file according to the timing instruction and a calculated system clock offset value.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for syncing multiple electronic devices for collective audio playback. According to certain aspects, a master device connects (218) to a slave device via a wireless connection. The master device calculates (224) a network latency via a series of network latency pings with the slave device and sends (225) the network latency to the slave device. Further, the master devices sends (232) a portion of an audio file as well as a timing instruction including a system time to the slave device. The master device initiates (234) playback of the portion of the audio file and the slave devices initiates (236) playback of the portion of the audio file according to the timing instruction and a calculated system clock offset value.

Abstract: A method includes receiving sound by a first audio unit installed in an electrical outlet, routing audio data corresponding to the received sound from the first audio unit to a second audio unit installed in a second electrical outlet, and sending the audio data to a mobile device using a wireless link between the mobile device and the second audio unit. Routing the audio data may include receiving the audio data from the first audio unit by a third audio unit and routing the audio data to the second audio unit by the third audio unit serving as a router. The data may be routed using table driven routing, on-demand routing or some other appropriate routing protocol. The method may also include performing voice recognition on the audio data and detecting a command word and routing command word data to the second audio unit.

Abstract: A communication device and method for authentication of a message being transmitted from the communication device. The method includes receiving, by a messaging utility, content of a message provided for transmission from the communication device. Based on a determination that the message requires user authentication before the message is transmitted to a recipient, the method further includes selecting, based on contextual data, one or more biometric capturing components of the communication device; triggering at least one selected biometric capturing component to capture a corresponding biometric input from a user of the communication device; and transmitting the message when the biometric input as belonging to an authorized user of the communication device. In one embodiment, a clearinghouse service authenticates a biometric input from a user of the communication device in order to certify the user and/or the message.

Abstract: Implementations relate to systems and methods for location assistance using devices (104) in a personal area network (PAN). In one scenario, a user may use two separate location-enabled devices, such as a wearable personal device (102) and a cellular telephone device (104). In cases, one of those devices may have reached a higher or farther-developed state in terms of generating or storing location information (108) for the user's current position, as compared to the opposite device. This can take place, for instance, when the first (e.g. wearable) device (102) is first turned on. The two devices use platforms and techniques to exchange location information and carry out GPS or other operations to furnish the device that is lagging in position processing progress with assistance which will speed up or otherwise enhance the position fix for that device.

Abstract: A method (300) and device (200) with intelligent media management is disclosed. The method (300) can include: streaming (310) media content in a wireless communication device; identifying (320) a media signature of the streamed media content; searching (330) a stored library for the identified media signature; and playing (340) locally stored media content, if the search results in finding a match with the identified media signature in the stored library. Thus, when a match occurs, locally stored media content replaces the streamed media content, to provide substantially lower power consumption and enhanced battery life in connection with wireless communication devices.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a wireless terminal from a content provider, preview information referencing video content not yet received by the wireless terminal and that is associated with bonus content that has limited availability, expiration notification metadata, and expiration window information corresponding to expiration of the limited availability of the bonus content. The method further includes determining that the video content has not been consumed or purchased and that the limited availability is nearing the expiration based on the expiration window information. The method further includes, responsive to the determining that the video content has not been consumed or purchased and that the limited availability is nearing the expiration, generating, based on the expiration notification metadata, a prompt indicating that the limited availability of the bonus content is to expire.

Abstract: The various implementations described herein include methods and systems for collecting media associated with a mobile device. In one aspect, a method is performed at a computing system. The method comprises receiving and storing, without user interaction, video and audio data captured during a predefined time period by a plurality of distributed video devices configured to monitor one or more vicinities, and mobile device presence information from which presence of mobile devices in vicinity of the video devices can be determined throughout the predefined time period. The method further comprises receiving from a requestor a request to identify from the captured video and audio data a first subset associated with a first person. The request includes first information of a mobile device associated with the first person. In response to the request, the first subset based on the mobile device presence information is identified and transmitted to the requestor.

Abstract: This document describes techniques (400, 500, 600) and apparatuses (100, 700) for implementing sensor-based near-field communication (NFC) authentication. These techniques (400, 500, 600) and apparatuses (100, 700) enable a computing device (102) to detect, in a low-power state, environmental variances indicating proximity with an NFC-enabled device (104) with which to authenticate. In some embodiments, various components of a computing device (102) in a sleep state are activated to process environmental variance(s), perform authentication operations, and/or an indicate initiation of authentication operations to a user.

Abstract: An alert peripheral device that provides sensory notification to a user of the device includes: a power subsystem; a communication mechanism by which notification signals is received from a first user equipment (UE) that generates and transmits the notification signals in response to detection of specific events at the first UE; and a response notification mechanism that provides a sensory response of the peripheral device following receipt of a notification of a detected event (NDE) signal. The device further includes an embedded controller coupled to each of the other components and which includes firmware that when executed on the embedded controller configures the embedded controller to: establish a communication link between the communication mechanism and the first UE; and in response to detecting a receipt of the NDE signal from the first UE, trigger the response notification mechanism to exhibit the sensory response.

Abstract: A system is provided for use with a video input signal and a video unit. The video input signal can be one of a two dimensional video signal and a three dimensional video signal. The video unit can display a three dimensional video and a two dimensional video. The system includes a receiver portion, a processing portion, a switching portion and an output portion. The receiver portion can receive the video input signal. The processing portion can output a first signal in a first mode of operation and can output a second signal in a second mode of operation, wherein the first signal is based on the video input signal and the second signal is based on the video input signal. The switching portion can switch the processing portion from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation.

Abstract: Generating a reconstructed may include reading a binary codeword corresponding to a transform coefficient for a sub-block of a transform unit, the transform coefficient having a quantized value, identifying a value of a parameter variable as zero in response to a determination that the transform coefficient is a first transform coefficient for the sub-block, and otherwise as an updated parameter variable value, converting the binary codeword into a symbol based on the value of the parameter variable, determining the absolute value of the transform coefficient corresponding to the symbol, wherein the quantized value for the transform coefficient is equal to or greater than a threshold value, by adding the threshold value to the symbol, including the transform coefficient in the sub-block of the transform unit, and generating a portion of the reconstructed frame based on the transform unit.

Abstract: Arrangements described herein relate to accessing a cloud based service. Responsive to a user of a first communication device initiating access to the cloud based service via the first communication device, a prompt for a valid password to be entered to access the cloud based service can be received by the first communication device. Responsive to the valid password required to access the cloud based service not being stored on the first communication device, the first communication device can automatically retrieve the valid password from a second communication device via a peer-to-peer ad hoc communication link between the first communication device and the second communication device. The valid password can be automatically provided, by the first communication device, to a login service for the cloud based service to obtain access by the first communication device to the cloud based service.

Abstract: A method in an electronic device, the method includes projecting infrared (“IR”) light from a plurality of light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) disposed proximate to the perimeter of the electronic device, detecting, by a sensor, IR light originating from at least two of the plurality of LEDs reflected from off of a person, and carrying out a function based on the relative strength of the detected IR light from the LEDs.

Abstract: The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for coupling wireless devices. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a server, an image captured by a first electronic device; obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

Abstract: This document describes techniques (400, 500, 600) and apparatuses (100, 700) for implementing sensor-based near-field communication (NFC) authentication. These techniques (400, 500, 600) and apparatuses (100, 700) enable a computing device (102) to detect, in a low-power state, environmental variances indicating proximity with an NFC-enabled device (104) with which to authenticate. In some embodiments, various components of a computing device (102) in a sleep state are activated to process environmental variance(s), perform authentication operations, and/or an indicate initiation of authentication operations to a user.