Abstract: Items having a plurality of attributes associated therewith, each of said associated attributes having a rating, the rating indicating the importance of the attribute to the user can be selected (201) and displayed (205) with its associated attributes and corresponding ratings. The ratings can be adjusted (207) and at least one item similar to one of the selected at least one first item is selected (209) based on the rating of at least one of the displayed attributes.

Abstract: Method and system (100) for generating a recommendation for at least one further content item is disclosed. A personalized content channel is enabled to play out a plurality of content items (programs) complying with multiple selection criteria. At least one further content item is recommended by a recommender engine (107), the at least one further content item complying with fewer of the multiple criteria. In an embodiment, at least one of the at least one recommended further content item is selected and the multiple selection criteria are adjusted by a scheduler (109) on the basis of at least one characteristic of the selected recommended further content item.

Abstract: A recommender engine (107_1, 107_2, 107_3) recommends further content items for playout on a personalized content channel on the basis of a profile (109_1, 109_2, 109_3) associated with that personalized content channel. The profile (109_1, 109_2, 109_3) includes an indication of the user's “like” and “dislike” of content items played out on said personalized channel.

Abstract: The recommender system uses stored representations of relations between users. Access to an item by one or more first users in the storage system is recorded. When the recommender system detects a request for a rating of the item from a second user, the recommender system selects at least one of the first users that occurs in a stored relation with the second user. A query message that refers to the second user is then automatically transmitted to enter a rating for the item to a user address associated with the selected first users. Preferably at least one first user is selected for which it has been recorded that it has accessed the item but for which it has not yet given a rating. Preferably, the rating from the first user is passed to the second user via the recommender system, which records the rating for further use. The selection of the first user may be based on recorded data that measures correlation between ratings from the first and second user.

Abstract: Devices and methods for generating a three-dimensional video stream starting from a sequence of video images. The sequence includes a first view (V0), at least one second view (V1) of a scene, and a depth map (D0) of said first view (V0), or a disparity map of said at least one second view (V1) with respect to the first view (V0). At least one occlusion image (O1) including the occluded pixels of said second view (V1) is obtained by starting from said depth map (D0) or from said disparity map. A compacted occlusion image (OC1)is generated by spatially repositioning said occluded pixels of said at least one occlusion image (O1), so as to move said pixels closer to one another. The three-dimensional video stream may include said first view (V0), said depth map (D0) or said disparity map, and said at least one compacted occlusion image (OC1).

Abstract: A method is described for generating a video stream by starting from a plurality of sequences of 2D and/or 3D video frames, wherein a video stream generator composes into a container video frame video frames coming from N different sources (S1, S2, S3, SN) and generates a single output video stream of container video frames which is coded by an encoder, wherein said encoder enters into the output video stream a signalling adapted to indicate the structure of the container video frames. A corresponding method for regenerating the video stream is also described.

Abstract: A short range wireless communication system (10) includes a short range wireless communication sensor (1,5) and a mobile terminal (3) adapted to interact with the short range wireless communication sensor (1,5), wherein such a mobile terminal (3) includes a detector (31) adapted to detect at least a movement of the mobile terminal (3) following the interaction with the short range wireless communication sensor (1,5) and wherein the mobile terminal (3) comprises a controller (39), particularly a microprocessor, adapted to control at least an operation based on such movement and the interaction with the short range wireless communication sensor (1,5).

Abstract: An apparatus (1) adapted to share information contents through wireless connection includes a processor adapted to read at least one information content (65) from memory (3, 4, 7) and at least a radio communication module (2) adapted to automatically transmit at least one information content (65) to an electronic device (80) as a consequence of the fact that the electronic device (80) is located in the radio communication range of the radio communication module (2), without the need for explicitly entering into the apparatus (1) or into the electronic device (80) any specific command for transferring the information content (65).

Abstract: A video stream composed of combined video frames having a first resolution and include in their entirety two contents usable through extraction from the aforesaid video frame: a first content belonging to a video stream (F1) at a second resolution lower than the first resolution of the frame; and, in the area of the frame formed by the remaining pixels, at least a second content belonging to an information stream (F2) having, in the case where it is also a video stream, a resolution equal to or less than the second resolution, where during the fruition of one of the two video streams it is shown full-screen in its entirety, or in the case of a data information stream, data encoded via a set of pixels, the number of which is less than or equal to the number of pixels left free by the first video stream.

Abstract: A method for generating a variable-band modulated signal (x) where the modulating digital signal (X) of the modulated signal (x) includes at least one component (C, S, P); the digital information (r) about the variable band is repeatedly or periodically superimposed on the at least one component (C, S, P) or on the modulating signal (X). While processing the received modulated signal (x?), the modulated digital signal (X?) is extracted, the superimposed digital information (r) is obtained, and the extracted digital information (r) is used to determine the band of the modulated signal (x?) and to complete the demodulation and decoding of the modulated signal (x?).

Abstract: A method for generating a stereoscopic video stream (101) having composite images (C) that include information about a right image (R) and a left image (L), as well as at least one depth map includes pixels from the right image (R) and from the left image (L), and then entering the selected pixels into a composite image (C) of the stereoscopic video stream. The method also provides for entering all the pixels of the right image (R) and all the pixels of the left image (L) into the composite image (C) by leaving one of said two images unchanged and breaking up the other one into regions (R1, R2, R3) having a plurality of pixels. The pixels of the depth map(s) are then entered into that region of the composite image which is not occupied by pixels of the right and left images.

Abstract: A system is described, along with the related device and method, for transmission and/or reception of signals having electromagnetic modes with orbital angular momentum (OAM), wherein the device is adapted to receive, at its input, electromagnetic signals from at least one transmitter, and is configured to apply a discrete Fourier transform to the electromagnetic signals in order to generate the signals having electromagnetic modes with orbital angular momentum.

Abstract: A method for processing a video stream of digital images includes: receiving the video stream which includes at least one composite frame containing a pair of stereoscopic digital images according to a predetermined packing format; receiving metadata which describes the format of the composite frame; generating an output video stream which can be reproduced on a visualization device, wherein the method further includes the steps of determining the area in the composite frame which is occupied by one image of the stereoscopic pair within the composite frame based on the metadata; extracting the image contained in the area from the composite frame, and generating an output frame containing the extracted image.

Abstract: A method for generating a stereoscopic video stream includes composite images having pixels related to a right and a left image of a tridimensional video content; the pixels of the right and left images are inserted into a composite image of the stereoscopic video stream, all the pixels of the right and left images are inserted in the composite image by leaving one of said two images unaltered and breaking up the other one into regions including a plurality of pixels and entering the regions into the composite image; the composite image has larger dimensions than those necessary to allow the insertion of all pixels of the left and right images, and in the pixels of the composite image left after such insertion a depth map is inserted, whose elements correspond to the pixel depth of the tridimensional content.

Abstract: A method for superimposing images on three-dimensional content, wherein a video stream is received which includes the three-dimensional content and a depth map for superimposing images on the three-dimensional content. Once the video stream has been received, images are superimposed on the three-dimensional content in a position in depth dependent on the superimposition depth map (DM). The superimposition depth map contains information about the depth of the three-dimensional content and is inserted as an image contained in a frame (C) of the video stream. The depth map has a smaller number of pixels than that of a two-dimensional image associated with the three-dimensional content. The invention also relates to devices enabling the implementation of the methods.

Abstract: A method for generating a digital stereoscopic video stream (101) includes container frames (C), having information about a right image (R) and a left image (L), wherein, when coding the digital stereoscopic video stream (101), at least one metadatum (M) is entered which is adapted to identify a region of a container frame (C) containing only one of the two images (L,R).

Abstract: A short range wireless communication system (10) includes a short range wireless communication sensor (1,5) and a mobile terminal (3) adapted to interact with the short range wireless communication sensor (1,5), wherein such a mobile terminal (3) includes a detector (31) adapted to detect at least a movement of the mobile terminal (3) following the interaction with the short range wireless communication sensor (1,5) and wherein the mobile terminal (3) comprises a controller (39), particularly a microprocessor, adapted to control at least an operation based on such movement and the interaction with the short range wireless communication sensor (1,5).

Abstract: A method for generating a composite image of a stereoscopic video stream includes a pair of a right image and a left image of a scene, the right image and the left image being such that, when viewed by a spectator's right eye and left eye, respectively, they cause the spectator to perceive the scene as being three-dimensional, the method includes the steps of: generating a composite image including all the pixels of the pair of right and left images, defining a grid of macroblocks of the composite image, each macroblock of the grid including a plurality of adjacent pixels, decomposing one image of the pair of right and left images into a plurality of component regions including a plurality of contiguous pixels, processing the component regions in a manner such as to generate corresponding derived regions, the derived regions including at least all the pixels of a corresponding component region and being such that they can be decomposed into an integer number of macroblocks, arranging the non-decomposed image

Abstract: A method is described for generating a video stream by starting from a plurality of sequences of 2D and/or 3D video frames, wherein a video stream generator composes into a container video frame video frames coming from N different sources (S1, S2, S3, SN) and generates a single output video stream of container video frames which is coded by an encoder, wherein said encoder enters into the output video stream a signalling adapted to indicate the structure of the container video frames. A corresponding method for regenerating the video stream is also described.

Abstract: A method is described for generating a video stream by starting from a plurality of sequences of 2D and/or 3D video frames, wherein a video stream generator composes into a container video frame video frames coming from N different sources (S1, S2, S3, SN) and generates a single output video stream of container video frames which is coded by an encoder, wherein said encoder enters into the output video stream a signalling adapted to indicate the structure of the container video frames. A corresponding method for regenerating the video stream is also described.