Abstract: The present invention provides a method for estimating a user's interest degree in a playing program, the method includes the steps of: monitoring the user's behavior on the program including at least two segments, and each of them correspond to different time weight; determining the length and the time weight of the segment played corresponding to the user's behavior; and acquiring the user's interest degree in the program according to the length and the time weight of segment played.

Abstract: The invention describes a method of annotating a timeline file (T) which method comprises identifying distinct key resources (K1, K2, K3, . . . , Km) in the timeline file (T), and describing a number of annotations for one or more key resources (K1, K2, K3, . . . , Km) in an annotation file (A) such that an annotation for a key resource (K1, K2, K3, . . . , Km) is tied to the key resource (K1, K2, K3, . . . , Km) corresponding to that annotation.

Abstract: The detection and recording of commercials (12) within content (10) to provide viewers with a choice to avoid watching commercials or view commercial content at a selected time. This invention proposes a way to allow the user to navigate through commercials (12) of interest without having to sit linearly through the commercials by recording the commercials and presenting the commercials to the user as a set of thumbnails, a menu or a Table of Contents mechanism. Content analysis algorithms can be used to choose the most representative key frame for the thumbnail. The invention can be used in conjunction with techniques to automatically delete commercials from recordings. The commercials are not watched by the viewer during initial viewing but are presented at user-selected times so the user can selectively view the commercials.

Abstract: A portable data storage device (1) comprising means (2, 4) for searching for data stored on an other device that match with a user set profile (3) of the data storage device (1) and means (5) for storing data matching with said profile (3) in the data storage device (1). Also a technical realization on the level of self organizing content entities is provided.

Abstract: User devices like disc players or set top boxes may lack a storage unit. A method of providing virtual local data storage for a user device that is connectable to a remote server (14) via a network (12) is described. A storage application (32) is provided in the user device, which initiates a socket connection to the remote server. The application provides an application interface API (35) for requests for storing auxiliary data (33) from (other) applications (31) in the user device. When a storage request is received via the API, the auxiliary data is stored on the remote server via the network (12). The new storage application may be build in a user device or memory extension, or may be provided as a downloadable plug-in or via a optical disc (CD, DVD or BD).

Abstract: An optical disc player includes an explaining device and a buffering management device. The explaining device is used to explain a command document; and the buffering management device is used to obtain the auxiliary information in advance according to the explained command document to cooperate to play of the main information of the optical disc subsequently. The method of playing an optical player includes the steps: explaining a command document; reading an auxiliary information in advance according to the explained command document to cooperate to play corresponding main information of the optical disc; and playing the corresponding main information cooperating with the auxiliary information read in advance when the auxiliary information is needed.

Abstract: Kiosk/Download Stations (2) are located in public places, such as retail establishments, malls, and so forth, for providing customers who own or newly purchase portable audio and/or audio/visual playback/recording devices (8) to be provided a service for rapidly downloading from the Kiosk (2) into a given device (8) newly purchased program material and/or previously purchased program material of the associated customer, the Kiosk (2) encoding the program material in a manner to only permit the customer to produce a backup copy by uploading the program material into the customer's PC (12), and only download the program material from the PC (12) into the customer's single device (8), while preventing any other copying of the program material from either the customer's device (8) or PC (12).

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disc with a generic logical format having a data structure that is defined independent of the content type (i.e., the data type and medium encoding scheme) and the physical medium. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a data storage medium is provided for storing data for access by a data processing system. The data storage medium comprises a data structure stored in the medium for describing different data contents stored therein. The data structure includes at least one content object containing data contents, an object definition file associated with the object for describing the object, and an index file including a table of contents having a reference to the object. The generic logical format of the invention can be easily adapted to any new content types without the need to define a complete new format.

Abstract: There is provided a communication network (10) operable to search for programme content. The network (10) is distinguished in that it comprises: (a) a plurality of mutually interconnected network nodes (100, 110) susceptible to storing programme data content and at least one of electronic programme guides (EPG) and associated meta-data thereat; (b) at least one user-operable node (20) coupled to the network (10), the at least one user-operable node (20) including user-interfacing means (30, 50) for receiving instructions from a user (60) and presenting results to the user (60).

Abstract: There is provided a sales promotion device (10) for modifying purchasing behavior. The device (10) is distinguished in that it includes spatially co-located first and second component parts (20, 30; 40, 50, 60). The first component part (20, 30) comprises a consumer product (20) and the second component part (40, 50, 60) is operable to encourage a purchaser of the device (10) to seek one or more further products (30), the second part (40, 50, 60) being electronically responsive when spatially presented by the purchaser at retailing premises (200) to enable the purchaser to gain access to and/or take possession of the one or more further products (30).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of restricting access to cookie information stored on a client, said client being communicatively connected to servers via a public communication network, wherein the client receives first party data from said server, said first party data comprising embedded links to third party web pages, where at least one of said web pages is adapted for storing client specific cookie information relating to said third party web page on said client, the method comprises the step of: restricting access to said stored cookie information, whereby only third party web pages have access to said cookie information if the third party web pages are accessed via a link from said first party data.

Abstract: A method (1,2) of and system (3) for rendering a removable read-only storage medium (30) virtually re-writable by providing a unique medium identifier (43) for the read-only storage medium (30) and by providing a link to a networked storage area of a mass storage device, wherein access to said storage area is granted by said medium identifier. According to one embodiment access to said network storage area is limited to a restricted area, wherein the writable option only works within the restricted area. According to another embodiment, a Blu-Ray ROM disc is linked to user-specific contents on a network storage device. This allows the Blu-Ray ROM disc, being identified by a unique medium identifier, e.g. based on a barcode in the Burst Cutting Area (42) of the disc, to have an identical user defined behaviour on arbitrary players connected to the network.

Abstract: A method of recording an MPEG compliant transport stream selected by a user on a storage media. The method comprising: receiving the transport stream, the transport stream comprising transport stream packets; removing stuffing bytes from each transport stream packet in the transport stream containing stuffing bytes; recording all transport stream packets on the storage media; and recording an entry in a program information file on the storage media indicating that stuffing bytes were removed from the transport stream.

Abstract: An optical disc playing system, comprises a selecting apparatus for receiving a command from a user, which requires to play a part of content of a program in the optical disc; a sending apparatus for sending a request which requires to provide the related information of said part of content; a receiving apparatus for receiving the related information; and a reading-out apparatus for reading out the received related information and said part of content. An optical disc playing method using said system comprises the steps of: receiving a command from a user, which requires to play a part of content of a program in the optical disc; sending a request which requires to provide the related information of said part of content; receiving the related information; and playing the disc in coordination with said part of content using the received related information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a content item recorder (101) comprising storage means (109) for storing a plurality of content items. The content item recorder (101) may be a Personal Video Recorder comprising a hard disk. The content item recorder (109) comprises a back-up processor (115) generating reduced reference information associated with the plurality of content items; and a memory interface (117) for storing the reduced reference information to a back-up memory (119) separate from the storage means (109). The reduced reference information may be reduced user profile information of reference information allowing external copies of content items to be identified from external sources which may specifically be part of a peer-to-peer network. The reduced reference information may automatically be stored on recordable DVD disks when a content item is stored thereon. Following a hard disk malfunction or replacement, hard disk information may be restored in response to the reduced reference information.

Abstract: An optical disk, optical disk player and optical disk playing method are disclosed, wherein the optical disk is used to play in coordination with the downloaded contents. The optical disk has a public key used to verify whether the downloaded content is authenticated. The optical disk player comprises a reading-out means, a network interface and a verifying module, in which the reading-out means is used to read-out the content and the public key of the optical disk; the network interface is used to receive the downloaded content; and the verifying module is used to verify whether the downloaded content is authenticated according to the public key read-out from the optical disk. The optical disk playing method consists of reading-out the content and the public key of the optical disk, downloading the content, then verifying the downloaded content according to the public key read-out from the optical disk, in order to confirm whether the downloaded content is authenticated.

Abstract: A method (49, 55) of handling fonts in a recorder or a playback-recorder for interactive television. Fonts are stored on a recordable storage medium (220), wherein the fonts are part of a downloaded interactive television application. When recording, the downloaded fonts are stored separate from the application, preferably in a font library on the recordable storage medium, which preferably is a removable medium, preferably an optical storage medium. Each font is only stored in one copy, even when a plurality of applications on the storage medium need that font for running. When playing back the application from the storage medium, indicating information is provided on which fonts form the storage medium in the font library are required for playback of said application from said storage medium. Thus multiple storage of fonts is prevented, minimising needed storage space on the storage medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for playing a content. The method comprising: reading a pre-stored content which include information relevant to a downloaded content; detecting available bandwidth; sending a request for downloading the downloaded content according to the information relevant to the downloaded content, wherein the request includes the information of the bandwidth; receiving the downloaded content according with the detected bandwidth; and playing the downloaded content combined with the pre-stored content. Because said method and device according to the present invention adopts the automatic real-time detection for the current usable bandwidth of the network playback device connected to, and it changes the quality of content requiring downloading, seamless playback can be realized, while avoiding the trouble due to the quality selection by the user himself.

Abstract: A method is proposed for selectively creating a backup of electronic content information on a home network. The method determines a relative importance of the content information; and stores the backup under control of the relative importance determined.

Abstract: A device is equipped with local storage arrangement such as HDD and a removable optical storage carrier input device. Removable carriers include storage applications that necessitate storage space for storing data items. A storage management unit allocates storage space of the local storage arrangement to the inserted removable optical storage carrier and the application stored therein. The management unit also attributes to the portion identification information respecting access rights granted to the application with respect to data items stored in the allocated portion. The application is given no access to data items stored outside the allocated portion.