Abstract: A home network controller includes a memory, a processor, an internal communication component and an external communication component. The home network controller is configured to: associate the home network controller with a wireless client device to establish a wireless network, communicate with the wireless client device over the wireless network, enable the wireless client device to communicate with an external network via the wireless network, operate the home network controller in a first mode, operate the home network controller in a second mode, switch operation of the home network controller from the first mode to the second mode based on a disassociation of the wireless client device, and switch operation of the home network controller from the second mode to the first mode based on receipt of an initiate signal from the external network via the external communication component.

Abstract: A media device provides seamless transitioning between a plurality of media applications. A selection of a second media application can cause the media device to switch from a first media application to the second media application so as to cause the display of second content associated with the second media application without significant interruption in the viewing experience of a user. A silent audio buffer associated with the first content associated with the first media application can be generated while a first video output surface associated with the first content is muted and processed in the background. By writing a silent audio buffer and processing the muted first video output surface in the background, the video output stream and audio output stream are provided to an output device without causing a black screen and/or mixed audio to be presented.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for trickplay in HTTP live streaming (HLS), includes: establishing a connection to a content source; receiving a piece of content from a content source as a multimedia stream, wherein the multimedia stream comprises a digital living network alliance stream; converting the multimedia stream into a client stream that comprises a HLS stream, the HLS stream including a manifest file containing a plurality of transport stream packets; storing a pre-determined number of the plurality of transport stream packets in a temporary storage; outputting the client stream to a media player; receiving a first trickplay request from the media player, the first trickplay request being a pause request; in response to the first trickplay request: pausing the client stream; transmitting a signal keeping the connection to the content source alive and the multimedia stream active; and storing the multimedia stream in the temporary storage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described that include receiving data values from a plurality of sensors located in the apparatus operating in a normal mode. The method and apparatus further include determining if at least one sensor has entered a first elevated thermal operating state from a normal thermal operating state and providing a notification to enter a first elevated thermal mode of operation in the device if it is determined that the at least one sensor has entered the first elevated thermal operating state. The method and apparatus additionally include determining, while operating in a first elevated thermal mode of operation, if the operating state of all sensors have entered a normal thermal operating state and providing a notification to enter a normal mode of operation for the device if it is determined that all of the sensors have entered a normal thermal operating state.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus including setting a memory swap size limit, the limit being lower than a memory swap size defining a maximum size of a part of said memory resources used for swap, obtaining a score for at least one running program, a high score corresponding to a low priority level, obtaining monitoring information representative of a monitored activity of the program during a time period and of a learnt user's habit of use of the program, including a number of times the program gained the focus within the time period. The disclosure also includes deriving a score delta from information with a decrement value to the score delta at each focus gained by the program, adjusting the score by adding the delta, and terminating execution when memory swap size limit is reached and the adjusted score reaches a memory swap size limit threshold.

Abstract: An intelligent notification system/virtual companion system provides an intelligent notification to a client device associated with a user so as to improve the quality of service to a user. Rather than send a user monotonous or routine reminders that do not reflect current or timely information, the intelligent notification/interaction is based on user data associated with the user. By aggregating user data associated with a schedule of the user, the intelligent notification/interaction system can generate an intelligent notification that provides information to the user that is useful and pertinent. For example, a user may have already completed a regularly schedule and as such no reminder is necessary. The intelligent notification/interaction can, in lieu of a reminder, send the user a encouraging or informative intelligent reminder. In this way, a user is not inundated with stale reminders but rather receives accurate, relevant and information intelligent notifications and interactions.

Abstract: An antenna structure is described that includes a flexible substrate and at least two antenna elements being formed from conductive traces on a layer of the flexible substrate. The antenna structure also includes a plurality of conductive traces formed on the layer of the flexible substrate with a first subset being electrically coupled as a lead in to a first one of the antenna elements and a second subset of the plurality of conductive traces being electrically coupled as a lead in to a second one of the antenna elements, wherein the first subset and the second subset are separately coupled electrically to one connector after insertion of an edge of the flexible substrate into the connector. An apparatus is described that includes a case, an electronic assembly, including a printed circuit board and a support bracket, contained within the case. The apparatus further includes the antenna assembly as described herein.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for monitoring usage of at least one application executed within an operating system of an electronic device. The method includes at least one iteration of, while a processing condition is not satisfied, determining a video event associated with a current application and storing the video event in a data structure, delivering a set of video events. The method further includes, once the processing condition is satisfied, determining a past time slot, calling an usage statistics API provided on the operating system, delivering a set of application events representative of whether an application has been put in system foreground or system background, retrieving application events that have occurred during the past time slot, retrieving video events that have occurred during the past time slot, chronologically ordering the retrieved application and video events, and delivering a consolidated set of ordered events.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for recognizing at least one naturally emitted sound produced by a real-life sound source in an environment comprising at least one artificial sound source. The method is implemented by an audio recognition device, and it includes simultaneously obtaining a first audio signal from a first microphone located in the environment and a second audio signal from an audio acquisition device associated with the at least one artificial sound source; analyzing the first audio signal, delivering a first list of sound classes corresponding to sounds recognized in the first audio signal; analyzing the second audio signal, delivering a second list of sound classes corresponding to sounds recognized in the second audio signal; and delivering a third list of sound classes, comprising only sound classes included in the first list of sound classes which are not included in the second list of sound classes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diversity antenna selection and include receiving a first portion of a signal using a first antenna during a first time period and using a second antenna during a second time period, determining a first difference value for the first portion received by the first antenna, the first value being a difference between a signal level for the first portion received by the first antenna and a threshold signal level associated with the first antenna, and determining a second difference value for the first portion received by the second antenna, the second value being a difference between a signal level for the first portion received by the second antenna and a threshold signal level associated with the second antenna. The method and apparatus include receiving a second portion of the signal using the first antenna if the first difference value is greater than the second difference value.

Abstract: An apparatus and heat management mechanism are described. The apparatus includes an outer casing enclosing at least one heat generating electronic structure, such as a plurality of electronic components included on at least printed circuit board, the outer casing having an inner surface and an outer surface. The apparatus and the heat management mechanism further include a heat dissipation structure thermally coupled to the heat generating structure or printed circuit board, the heat dissipation structure forming an open-ended columnar channel, the open-ended columnar channel allowing air to flow within the heat dissipation structure in a direction parallel to a surface of the heat generating structure or printed circuit board.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for monitoring usage of at least one application executed within an operating system of an electronic device. The method includes at least one iteration of, while a processing condition is not satisfied, determining a video event associated with a current application and storing the video event in a data structure, delivering a set of video events. The method further includes, once the processing condition is satisfied, determining a past time slot, calling an usage statistics API provided on the operating system, delivering a set of application events representative of whether an application has been put in system foreground or system background, retrieving application events that have occurred during the past time slot, retrieving video events that have occurred during the past time slot, and chronologically ordering the retrieved application and video events, delivering a consolidated set of ordered events.

Abstract: A method of bonding layers of dielectric materials includes providing a surface one of the layers with microscale- and/or nanoscale-size bonding elements forming contact points of the layers and bringing a layer of the layers into a mutual position according to an intended use. The method also includes illuminating the layer whose surface is provided with bonding elements by an incident electromagnetic wave, the propagation direction of which is substantially orthogonal to the one of the layers, and whose wavelength is selected depending on an absorption spectrum of a material forming the one of the layers and generating condensed optical beams within said bonding elements or close to a tip of said bonding elements intended to be in contact with the other layer. The method further includes heating and melting the bonding elements by high-intensity focal spots formed by said generated optical beams and maintaining the layers into a mutual position until and bonding of the layers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for providing assistance to a colorist in color grading of a virtual reality video content, called VR content. The method includes receiving the VR content being graded by a color grading station and receiving position information representative of the position of at least one hand of a colorist versus the color grading station. The method further includes generating, based on the position information, visual control information showing the position of the at least one hand of the colorist versus at least one grading control element of the color grading station and displaying the visual control information together with the graded VR content on a head mounted display carried by the colorist in order to help the colorist manipulating the at least one grading control element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wide-band omnidirectional antenna including at least a first conducting member and a second conducting member having a revolution symmetry about a common revolution axis and central openings, said members being arranged opposite each other, at least one member having a progressively flaring area, characterised in that it comprises a gap between the conducting members and a central coaxial excitation line so as to achieve a three-dimensional contactless transition between the coaxial excitation line and the conducting members and members for modifying the radiation pattern in the flaring area of the diode type for selectively radiating the gap depending on the on- or off-state of said diodes.

Abstract: A folded metal dipole antenna includes a balun having two sides, the sides having metal contact end portions for electrical connection to a printed circuit board, two radiating elements, each radiating element in coplanar relationship to a corresponding side of the balun, and an antenna support member having a spacer portion placed between the two sides of the balun. The spacer portion is used to separate one radiating element of the dipole antenna from another radiating element of the dipole antenna.

Abstract: In today's network management world, there are various solutions that collect data and presume to identify events impacting the QoE of the end-users. However, such solutions usually do not try to address the question of whether the end-users are actually impacted. These solutions usually look at certain types of known problems and try to detect if that problem exists in the end-user's network, and from that they conclude that the end-user might be impacted. The method according to an embodiment of the invention enables to proactively identify that an end-user is actually experiencing an event impacting the QoE in his home network. The proposed solution enables the detection of event affecting an end-user's network, regardless of the type of the network and without looking for specific issues. This knowledge may be a valuable asset of an Internet Service Provider which may fix issues quicker or mitigate end-users' dissatisfaction.

Abstract: A method for rendering a current image on a head-mounted display is provided. The current image has been acquired by a camera mounted on a moving object. First, the capturing roll angle is obtained. It is compared to the viewing roll angle that is the current roll angle of the head of a user of the head-mounted display. If the difference between the capturing roll angle and the current viewing roll angle is lower than a determined threshold, a detection flag is activated. The current image is then rotated by an angle determined according to the capturing roll angle, the current viewing roll angle and of the detection flag. The current rotated image is rendered.

Abstract: A virtual reality apparatus includes a virtual reality display screen. Further, the virtual reality apparatus includes an eye tracking system that tracks a gaze direction of one or more eyes of a user to determine an object of focus in a virtual reality display. In addition, the virtual reality apparatus includes a processor. The virtual reality apparatus also includes a memory having a set of instructions that when executed by the processor causes the virtual reality apparatus to estimate one or more pupil dimensions of the one or more eyes based upon a luminance of virtual reality imagery displayed by the virtual reality display. The virtual reality apparatus is further caused to determine a focal plane based upon the estimated one or more pupil dimensions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a main lighting direction from the input image, which corresponds to a key light. The system is operative to nm on data-parallel architectures allows for incoming light direction estimation in real-time. More particularly, the method and apparatus detect a key, or principal light direction relative to the position/orientation of an acquisition device. It method involves image analysis to find a maximum intensity value, maximal values filtering, and conversion of the input image position to a direction in space.