Abstract: An apparatus and method for a wireless home mesh network with a network topology visualizer is described. In one embodiment, the method may include collecting node topology information by a node of a wireless home mesh network, where the node topology information includes a list of neighbor nodes for the node. Thereafter, a communication socket is opened, and a node topology packet, including a lust of neighbor nodes, is transmitted in order to produce a global network topology map. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a reception portion configured to receive AV content; a trigger acquisition portion configured to acquire trigger information for operating an application program to be executed in interlocked relation to the AV content; a table acquisition portion configured to acquire a correspondence table associating a command for controlling the operation of the application program with a valid time of the command; and a control portion configured such that when the time acquired from the trigger information as indicative of the progress of the AV content satisfies a predetermined condition of validity in reference to the valid time of the command on the basis of the acquired correspondence table, the control portion controls the operation of the application program in accordance with the command being valid.

Abstract: A method of scanning television channels at initial setup. The method includes at a first power mode, automatically scanning for channels using a first scanning setup procedure during which the television is unusable by a user. The first power mode is when the television is at a full power mode. The detected channels are automatically provided for use by the television upon completion of the first scanning setup procedure. The method further includes automatically scanning for channels using a second scanning setup procedure at a second power mode following the first power mode. The second power mode is at a lower power mode than the first power mode, and the second scanning setup procedure is more time consuming in comparison to the first scanning setup procedure. Additional channels not detected during the initial setup by the first scanning setup procedure are automatically detected at the second power mode.

Abstract: While a user is using the electronic device, user interaction information for keystrokes, button pushes, and activation of functional controls may be recorded. The user interaction information is stored and when the electronic device is connected to a network, the user interaction information is sent over the network to a user interface analyzer. The user interface analyzer analyzes the user interaction information to determine patterns of usage regarding a hierarchy of menu items for the user interface. The analysis may show that a user interface may be improved for better usability. The user interface on the electronic device may be dynamically changed to alter the menu hierarchy, or the analysis may be used to improve future generations of products. For example, menu items may be positioned such that the user can more easily access menu items that are used more frequently.

Abstract: A graphical power meter involving a device for measuring, in real time, an internal power consumption value corresponding to power being consumed by an electronic device; and a device for displaying a graphical representation of the real-time internal power consumption value from the measuring device to a consumer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a reception portion configured to receive audio video content; a trigger extraction portion configured to extract trigger information for operating an application program transmitted along with the audio video content and executed in interlocked relation to the audio video content; a table acquisition portion configured to acquire a correspondence table for associating the trigger information with commands for controlling the operation of the application program; a command determination portion configured such that, based on the acquired correspondence table, the command determination portion determines the commands associated with the extracted trigger information; and a control portion configured to control the operation of the application program in response to the determined commands.

Abstract: A network bridging adaptor and method for enabling nodes to access a multi-tier wireless home mesh network is described. The network bridging adaptor is adapted to operate in an ad hoc network having access restricted to only wireless nodes that are provided from a common entity. According to one embodiment of the invention, the network bridging adaptor comprises a housing; one or more ports positioned along a side of the housing to receive data from an electronic device; a first radio logic unit contained within the housing and adapted to transmit and receive messages in order to detect a presence of the ad hoc network; and a second radio logic unit contained within the housing and adapted to operate as an access point by establishing communications with nodes that are provided by an entity different than the common entity. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A reverse 911 can be sent to a TV communicating with the Internet. The TV is automatically turned on if it is off, and a viewer can acknowledge the reverse 911 using a TV remote control.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method carried out in a digital television receiver device incapable of full two way communications, of receiving switched digital television programs involves storing a virtual channel table in the digital television receiver device, the virtual channel table having entries for each available channel and having a channel type indicator that identifies switched digital channels; receiving a command indicative of selection of a switched digital channel having the switched digital channel type indicator in the stored virtual channel table; sending a request from the television receiver device for the switched digital channel; responsive to the request, receiving a response that either grants the request or denies the request; and if the response grants the request, receiving an updated virtual channel table having updated table entries. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A system and method for supporting content distribution in an electronic network includes a peer-to-peer network of electronic devices. The electronic devices are initially preloaded in a distributed manner with various content segments from corresponding content items. When a system user selects a particular content item on a corresponding electronic device, a download manager of the electronic device may automatically generate content segment requests to other appropriate electronic devices in the peer-to-peer network. The download manager may then download and automatically reassemble the content segments to produce the selected content item for utilization by the system user.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including a content information acquisition part configured to acquire pieces of content information extracted based on an extraction condition, and a display controller configured to cause content icons corresponding to the pieces of content information, respectively, to be displayed on a track placed around a region. In a first display stage, the display controller causes the content icons to be displayed sequentially on a first track in a manner that the content icons appear at a first point on the first track and disappear at a second point on the first track, the second point being different from the first point, and, in a second display stage, the display controller causes a predetermined number of the content icons corresponding to the pieces of content information, respectively, to be displayed on a second track.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively supporting data transfer procedures includes a source device that registers with an account server to participate in a data backup service. The source device then encrypts and stores user data onto a datacenter. The source device later may request a data transfer task from a vendor. The datacenter responsively transfers the encrypted user data to a vendor server, and an escrow server generates and sends a temporary key to the vendor server. A destination device may then utilize the temporary key to decrypt and securely store the user data onto the destination device.

Abstract: An electronics device includes a plurality of panels. A first panel includes device electronics positioned within a housing that functions as a protective cover. A second panel includes a touchscreen display on a display side and a housing on a backside. The second panel is coupled to the first panel using a first hinge mechanism, such as a reversible hinge. A third panel includes a touchscreen display configurable as an adaptive interface. The third panel is coupled to the second panel using a second hinge mechanism. The first panel, the second panel, and the third panel are coupled together as a “z-fold”, and are movable into a plurality of different configurations.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a reception portion configured to receive AV content; a trigger acquisition portion configured to acquire trigger information for operating an application program to be executed in interlocked relation to the AV content; a table acquisition portion configured to acquire a correspondence table associating a command for controlling the operation of the application program with a valid time of the command; and a control portion configured such that when the time acquired from the trigger information as indicative of the progress of the AV content satisfies a predetermined condition of validity in reference to the valid time of the command on the basis of the acquired correspondence table, the control portion controls the operation of the application program in accordance with the command being valid.

Abstract: A wireless intelligent switch engine (WISE) is described. The wireless intelligent switch engine provides for automatic switching between different physical wireless interfaces in mobile devices while roaming to maintain a wireless network connection. WISE functions as a bridge between a mobile device and multiple wireless network interfaces to provide automatic and seamless switching among networks while roaming. The mobile device sees WISE as a LAN interface and communicates with WISE using the TCP/IP protocol stack, thus providing a PPP-less configuration that uses the TCP/IP protocol stack regardless of the wireless interface.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a macroblock is determined in an incoming bitstream. In one example, the macroblock may be a 16×16 macroblock for a first coding standard, such as MPEG-2. The macroblock is then divided into a plurality of segmented blocks. For example, an arbitrary sized segment of blocks may be used to divide the macroblock into segmented blocks. In one example, the macroblock is divided into four 8×8 segmented blocks. A plurality of statistical measures are then determined for the plurality of segmented blocks. For example, for each segmented block, a sum of absolute differences (SAD) is determined. Then, one or more sizes for the sub-blocks are determined based on the comparison. For example, a variable sub-block size for an AVC bitstream is determined.

Abstract: An automatic feature demonstration mode for TV products that can be used in retail stores. TV features that otherwise would be overlooked by customers or misrepresented by the sales staff are advertised on the TV itself. The system may be used to convey information beyond TV features.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention includes a technique for extracting private user data. A data sequence in a packetized transport stream is parsed to obtain a user data identifier (UDI) associated with a pre-defined data structure. The UDI is registered with a registration authority and is different from a standard identifier that is defined by a standard organization in a published standard document. The UDI is recognized. The private user data is extracted from the data sequence according to the pre-defined data structure corresponding to the recognized UDI.

Abstract: An isochronous back channel is configured between a transmitting device and a receiving device. The isochronous back channel provides retransmission and flow control information from the receiving device to the transmitting device related to a stream of isochronous data packets transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device. An isochronous back channel packet for indicating a retransmission or flow control function to perform is configured and transmitted from the receiving device to the transmitting device over the isochronous back channel. A transmitting plug is configured on the receiving device and a receiving plug is configured on the transmitting device for implementing the isochronous back channel. The isochronous back channel packet includes a control instruction that instructs the transmitting device to either reset, stop or resume transmission of the stream of isochronous data packets being transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a multi-tier wireless home mesh network is described. The method may include formation of an infrastructure-less wireless home mesh networking environment comprising a collection of nodes that operate as a decentralized, ad hoc wireless network with multiple sub-networks or tiers that are responsible for different functions within the network. Each node of the multi-tier network is configured to forward data to other nodes and is assigned to a particular tier based on the node's performance capabilities. A further embodiment includes identification of a wireless home mesh network. Once identified, one or more proprietary messages may be exchanged in a secure manner to establish connections with a home electronics device as either a mobile node or a stationary node of the home network. A home electronics device may wirelessly communicate to route data within one or more nodes of the wireless home mesh network. Other embodiments are described and claimed.