Abstract: A home security and control system for monitoring and controlling an external environment such as a home environment comprising: an Internet browser connectable to an extranet; an extranet located external to the home environment and accessible via the Internet browser; a communications server located in the extranet and adapted to interconnect on demand with one of a series of connection gateways located in predetermined home environments; and a connection gateway located in the home environment adapted to control and/or monitor the operation of at least one security device in the home environment; wherein upon accessing a predetermined address by the Internet browser on the extranet, the communications server connects to a predetermined one of the connection gateways to control and/or monitor the operation of the security device. The extranet can ideally be implemented as a Virtual Private Network (VPN) across an Internet substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for peer-to-peer video precaching is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises building a user profile, periodically checking for new content of objects in the user profile, maintaining a data base of available objects and location of said objects, and determining the download location of an object requested by a user.

Abstract: A switchable display device which is arranged to switch a portion of the display device between a single-view mode and a multi-view mode is disclosed. The display device includes: a processor to receive an information signal, the information signal having a format comprising structured elements corresponding to pixels, having respective luminance values and corresponding distance indicators; light generating unit to generate using of the information signal; optical unit to transfer the generated light in dependence of an actual view mode of the portion of the display device, the actual view mode being either the single-view mode or the multi-view mode; and wherein the processor detects the actual view mode of the portion of the display device using the respective distance indicators, and wherein the distance indicators are used for switching between the single-view and multi-view mode.

Abstract: A network scanner for transmitting image data as read from a document, which has been stored in a predetermined memory includes: a transmission part specifying means for specifying a part of the image data to be transmitted to said terminal(s); and specified data transmission means for transmitting the part of the image data as specified by the transmission part specifying means to the terminal(s). According to the foregoing structure, the load on communicating can be significantly reduced.

Abstract: A system and method for performing goal-oriented storage management for a distributed data storage network. Storage management software may execute on each node to cause the distributed data storage network to converge toward a system-wide storage goal. In various embodiments, the system-wide storage goal may be defined to accomplish any of various kinds of optimizations or performance improvements for the system, such as balancing storage utilization, achieving appropriate data replication, increasing performance, increasing fault tolerance, etc.

Abstract: A method for storing data in an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) is disclosed. The method comprises: i) selecting a first user and a second user, which are not aliases; ii) analyzing first and second data sets associated with the first and second users respectively to identify common data elements in each of the first and second data sets, the first and second data sets being useable by a first application server within the IMS to satisfy service requests on behalf of the first and second users; iii) creating a data structure containing a single instance of the identified common data elements; and iv) storing the data structure in a home subscriber server (HSS) within the IMS.

Abstract: An apparatus for coordinating data sharing in a computer network with at least one physical display device is provided. The apparatus includes a code generator generating at least one unique temporary session connection code (SCC), and a storage device storing associations between each of the at least one SCC and one or more of the at least one physical display device. An interface receives requests from one or more source computers to establish communications sessions for sharing data, and a processor in response to a request establishes a communications session between the requesting source computer and at least one physical display device only in the event that at least one condition is met. The at least one condition includes that a valid SCC is received with the request. The establishing is based on the received SCC. Related methods and computer programs are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for interlocking a plurality of servers to a server system is disclosed. The method comprises assigning an identifier to each of the plurality of servers, wherein the identifier associates each of the plurality of servers to the server system, thereby defining a plurality of interlocked servers.

Abstract: Force feedback is provided to a user of a client computer receiving information such as a web page over a network such as the World Wide Web from a server machine. The client machine has a force feedback interface device through which the user experiences physical force feedback. The web page may include force feedback information to provide authored force effects. Force feedback is correlated to web page objects by a force feedback program running on the client and based on input information from the interface device, the web page objects, and the force feedback information. Generic force effects can also be provided, which are applied uniformly at the client machine to all web page objects of a particular type as defined by user preferences at the client machine. A web page authoring interface is also described that includes the ability to add force sensations to a web page. The user may assign force effects to web page objects and immediately feel how the web page will feel to an end user.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the sharing of synchronization information corresponding to content among devices in a communication network. An originating device collects synchronization information related to the presentation of content to a user via the originating device. The synchronization information is defined according to reference points related to the presentation of the content to the user via the originating device, including a current state of the presentation of the content and/or additional information obtained during the presentation of the content. Based on detection of a synchronization event, the originating device transmits the collected synchronization information, resulting in the receipt of the synchronization information by one or more receiving devices. Thereafter, the presentation of the content to the user on one of the receiving devices can incorporate the synchronization information collected and transmitted by the originating device.

Abstract: Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for logging computer generated log messages utilizing a computerized feedback signal. A logging server logs computer generated log messages from a log source at a logging server at a first detail level. The detail level of logging is the amount of information or data logged for a given activity. A log analyzer analyzes the log messages being logged by the logging server at a first detail level. Then, in response to a computerized feedback signal based upon the analysis of the log messages by the log analyzer, the detail level of logging at the logging server is automatically modified to a second detail level which is different than the first detail level.

Abstract: In an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network in which multiple subscriber data servers are deployed with partitioned subscription data for users, a subscriber location function (SLF) is used to proxy queries to a subscriber data server (such as an HSS) in which subscription data for a user can be found. The SLF receives a query for the subscriber data server, looks up the address of appropriate subscriber data server and proxies the query to the appropriate subscriber data server. Preferably, the SLF is co-located with a subscriber data server.

Abstract: A capsule camera includes a wireless transmitter that transmits data and a receiving system having multiple receiving units to allowing storing multiple data streams simultaneously. The multiple stored data streams may be used at a later time to derive the best data stream for analysis, based on the network conditions at the time each data packet is received. The best data stream may be derived from the multiple stored data streams at a later time during the decoding process. For example, in a capsule camera application, the multiple data streams may be stored in the memory devices associated with the receiving units, which are typically attached to different locations on the body during diagnosis. The multiple data streams are maintained as the capsule passes through the gastrointestinal tract. Subsequently, after the diagnosis, the receiving units are recovered and connected to a computer or another standalone device for analysis.

Abstract: A method for updating contents of a Digital Media Server (DMS) in a digital living network alliance system (DLNA) is disclosed. An update process is performed through a periodic update event in a Digital Media Player (DMP) that receives all content information of the DMS. Upon determining that information loss has occurred in the update process, the DMP sends to the DMS a request for information about a list of items possessed by the DMS. The DMP receives the requested information about the list of items and compares the received information about the list of items with information about pre-stored items to obtain a comparison result. When a difference occurs as the comparison result, all information about contents of the DMS is obtained through a browse action. When the difference does not occur as the comparison result, the update process is continuously performed.

Abstract: Techniques to dynamically select data sources for users and to direct queries for the users to the proper data sources. Initially, user information (e.g., user name) for each user is received and used to determine a data source designated for the user. The designated data source may be determined via a look-up table or by running a query with the user information to obtain the identity (e.g., the logical name) of the data source. A data source variable for each user can then be set to the identity of the designated data source. Thereafter, queries for each user are directed to the user's designated data source by determining database connection information for the designated data source based on the data source variable and using this information to direct the queries.

Abstract: Automated collaboration for peer-to-peer electronic devices, in which a user profile is registered for a peer-to-peer network. The user profile defines rules for automated collaboration among electronic devices connected to the peer-to-peer network. An electronic device connected to the peer-to-peer network discovers a new electronic device joining the peer-to-peer network. The electronic device sends, to the new electronic device, the user profile and automatically, without user input at the electronic device or the new electronic device, negotiates with the new electronic device to determine how the electronic device and the new electronic device will collaboratively work together to meet the rules specified in the user profile. Based on the negotiation, the electronic device collaborates with the new electronic device in a manner that results in the new electronic device handling at least a portion of an event at the new electronic device.

Abstract: Peer-to-peer electronic device handling of social network activity, in which an electronic device determines that a user profile registered for a peer-to-peer network defines one or more preferences related to handling social network activity accessible by one or more of the electronic devices connected to the peer-to-peer network. The electronic device automatically, without user input at any of the electronic devices connected to the peer-to-peer network, negotiates with the electronic devices connected to the peer-to-peer network to determine how to collaboratively handle social network activity to meet the rules specified in the user profile. Based on the negotiation, the electronic device automatically, without user input at any of the electronic devices connected to the peer-to-peer network, collaborates with at least one electronic device that is connected to the peer-to-peer network and that is unable to access the social network to handle social network activity.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for enabling software applications running on separate devices to exchange data via multiple data communication methods. In various embodiments, a data communication system is provided comprising multiple data communication devices running one or more software applications and communication manager middleware. In various embodiments, the data communication system permits the software applications to exchange data without knowledge of the actual method and/or protocol used to exchange a given set of data, and intelligently manage the exchange of data between software applications by, among other things, transmitting sets of data using a preferred communication method selected based on one or more message attributes or communication method attributes.

Abstract: The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for providing a mashup infrastructure with a learning mechanism. One process includes operations for receiving a request for connecting a first port of an application with a different port and identifying tagged parameters associated with the first port. A set of potential ports for connecting with the first port based at least in part on the tagged parameters is dynamically determined. A suggestion of potential ports for connecting with the first port, including at least a subset of potential ports selected from the set of potential ports, is presented.

Abstract: A method quantifies unread content items for a stream subscribed to by a user. The stream includes a time-ordered list of content items from two or more content feeds. Each content feed includes a set of content items published by a respective publication source. The method includes determining a count of content items having an unread status in accordance with read state information stored for the user with respect to the stream, and transmitting the count to a client system for display.