Abstract: A method is provided for retrieving metadata for content residing in a peer-to-peer network.

Abstract: A method for monitoring and control of local or remote premises using a popular Skype™ peer-to-peer communication service is defined. The invented methodology provides for mobile surveillance and control using information infrastructure provided by Skype™ communicator. A combination of hardware and software methodologies utilizes voice, video and text message Skype™ communication channels to relate various sensory data and controls signals. This application is derived from the patent application 60/808,050 filed on May 25, 2006.

Abstract: An event moderating architecture is provided for exporting event notification messages from an event publishing environment. The event moderating architecture includes: a mobile network device residing outside of the event publishing environment and operable to formulate a subscription request for receiving event notification messages; and an event moderation module adapted to receive the subscription request from the mobile network device and translate the subscription request into a subscription with the event publishing environment. The event moderation module receives a subset of event notification messages from the event publishing environment and forwards select event notification messages in accordance with the subscription request to the mobile network device.

Abstract: An automatic metadata generation service system for use in home networks includes a home network interface adapted to perceive user network activity on a home network. A metadata generation service module generates user metadata based on the user network activity. An update service module automatically updates one or more existing metadata sets on the home network with generated metadata. In other aspects, a metadata generation service system for use with a home network, includes a home network interface adapted to interact with one or more of content providers or service providers according to one or more service discovery protocols. A monitoring service module obtains an update of metadata from one or more of the providers. A metadata generation service module convert metadata of one format received via the update to metadata of another format required by the home network.

Abstract: The trusted computer network is protected behind a gateway that includes a bastion host and screening router which blocks all URLs associated with the trusted network. The bastion host includes a remote client authentication mechanism and web proxy component that verifies and translates incoming URL requests from authenticated remote clients. Authentication is performed using one-time passwords that are stored on a portable storage device. The user configures the portable storage device by operating configuration software from the protected side of the gateway. The portable storage device also stores plug-in software to enable the client computer to properly retrieve the one-time password and exchange authentication messages with the bastion host. Further security is obtained by basing the one-time password on an encrypted version of the user's PIN. A symmetric key used to encrypt the PIN is stored in a protected area within the portable storage device.

Abstract: A method of operation for use with a QoS enabled device includes maintaining a record of a configuration of QoS objects present at a QoS enabled device and available for configuration. Further operation includes communicating the record to a user of the device, receiving a request from the user specifying one or more alterations to the configuration, and performing the alterations to the configuration as specified. In the case where information about the configuration is recorded in accordance with a publicly available catalog of standardized terminology developed to describe configuration elements, UPnP technology is supported. Accordingly, a UPnP enabled control point on a user device can automatically configure the QoS enabled device, greatly facilitating combination of QoS enabled and UPnP enabled user devices in a home network.

Abstract: In a video encoder/decoder, a method processes a discrete cosine transform (DCT) block of coefficients. The method receives a DCT block of coefficients, and linearizes the DCT block of coefficients into a one dimensional array of sequentially arranged coefficients. The method stores a portion of the one dimensional array of coefficients in a register, the portion including at least two sequentially arranged coefficients. The stored portion of coefficients in the register is processed. A next portion of coefficients in the one dimensional array is processed. This is repeated until the entire DCT block of coefficients have been loaded into the register. The processing may include computing a run length value, finding a class number, or determining dequantized coefficients of a DCT block.

Abstract: An event moderating architecture is provided for exporting event notification messages from an event publishing environment. The event moderating architecture includes: a mobile network device residing outside of the event publishing environment and operable to formulate a subscription request for receiving event notification messages; and an event moderation module adapted to receive the subscription request from the mobile network device and translate the subscription request into a subscription with the event publishing environment. The event moderation module receives a subset of event notification messages from the event publishing environment and forwards select event notification messages in accordance with the subscription request to the mobile network device.

Abstract: An interactive television framework is provided for interfacing with a home networking domain. The interactive television framework includes: a carousel access mechanism that is operable to access object carousel data from a remotely located data carousel; and a carousel proxying agent in data communication with the carousel access mechanism. The carousel proxying agent actively translates object carousel data into home device messages which are defined according to a plug-and-play protocol for transmission in the home networking domain.

Abstract: The admission control algorithm implements measurement-based connection admission control using effective envelopes of an arriving traffic aggregate and the service curves of the corresponding departing traffic aggregate. The approach provides the statistical service guarantees to a variety of service classes. According to the admission control algorithm, arriving traffic is admitted if the sum of the effective envelopes of the arriving traffic entering a network and admitted traffic currently in the network is less than or equal to the service curve.

Abstract: A networked mobile home surveillance system includes a home surveillance application running on a user device to access services on a home network and receive data from the home network. A home network gateway uses SIP messaging to allow communication of commands and data on the user device to and from a home networked device through bridging between SIP and a non-SIP protocol of the home network. A home surveillance service on the home network controls home networked remote devices used to monitor the home, and is subject to control by the application.

Abstract: A networked mobile EPG system includes an EPG application running on a user device to query and retrieve EPG contents from a home network. A home network gateway uses SIP messaging to allow communication of commands and data on the user device to and from a home networked device through bridging between SIP and a non-SIP protocol of the home network. An EPG service on the home network sends EPG metadata when a query is made from the user device.

Abstract: A method architecture for extending universal plug and play (UPnP) beyond a local area network is presented. This method includes a mobile device proxying agents. The mobile device proxying agents translate messages between UPnP and session initiation protocol (SIP) formats and sessions.

Abstract: A bridging architecture is provided for a network gateway environment which provides service registration in accordance with a gateway framework, such as OSGi. The bridging architecture includes: a SIP service registered with the gateway framework and operable to import and export SIP capabilities into the network gateway environment; a UPnP service registered with the gateway framework and operable to import UPnP capabilities into the network gateway environment; and a SIP/UPnP bridging middleware registered with the gateway framework and with the SIP service as a SIP user agent. The bridging middleware provides a communication interface between SIP entities residing outside the network gateway environment and UPnP entities residing within the network gateway environment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing bitplane coding with reordering, that may be used in a Fine Granularity Scalability (FGS) system. The apparatus and method reorder coefficients each time after a bitplane is coded. By reordering, the apparatus and method separate the coefficients into two groups. When coding a bitplane, bits in the first group are copied into the bitstream, while the bits in the second group are subject to common run-length, VLC, or arithmetic coding. The apparatus and method may also be used with or in a conventional SNR, temporal and/or spatially scalable architectures, for example, as utilized within an MPEG-4 framework.

Abstract: The present invention is a data formatting method for data in a digital communication network. The first step in the method is to identify a predetermined number of blocks in the data stream, each block including several data values. The blocks are shuffled by skipping a number of blocks of the input data between consecutive blocks of transmitted data and periodically resetting the skip pointer to transmit the skipped blocks as a part of a later skip operation. The shuffled blocks are then transmitted through the network and reordered again at the other side to recreate the original data stream. Others blocks are similarly reordered and transmitted. The shuffling of the blocks of data reduces self-similarity in the data while maintaining local order.

Abstract: The file system framework extends availability of current object carousel data, delivered via broadcast stream, to devices and services associated with a networked computer system. The networked computer system, which can be a home network that includes diverse networked home appliances, is made capable of hosting object carousel data in a seamless fashion. Devices and appliances mount and unmount the networked broadcast file system, just as they would any other data store on the network. Mechanisms are provided to refresh copies of the object carousel data. The data can include data files, streams and events. These data can be communicated to devices and appliances, upon request or as unicast, multicast or broadcast data streams. Events can be communicated across the network to cause selected actions to be initiated automatically.

Abstract: Error resilient methods and apparatus for coding, transmitting and/or storing digital multimedia data are disclosed. Digital multimedia data is organized into channel blocks, which include columns of data. A priority is determined for each channel block, based on the data within the channel block. Different forward error correction (FEC) procedures may be selected for the channel blocks based on their priority. Also, channel blocks may be transmitted on different transmission channels, and/or stored on different storage elements, based on their priority. Also disclosed is the coding, as pre-interleaved channel blocks, of digital multimedia data having fixed-length segments. The fixed-length segments are ordered and arranged in pre-interleaved channel blocks containing rows and columns. Pre-interleaving of a channel block arranges consecutive fixed-length segments along its columns. FEC data is determined for each row and included in the channel block. The channel blocks are packetized along the columns.

Abstract: The middleware service interacts with data carousel data objects and acts as a bridge between the data carousel and subscribed control points. The middleware service can serve a variety of objects, including streams, applications, stream events and also enables new applications and services to be deployed on home networks. It connects devices without broadcast channel connectivity to broadcast channel-resident data services.

Abstract: An entertainment device is provided for adaptively tuning to a content signal. The entertainment device includes a receiver responsive to content signals provided to the entertainment device. A selected channel of the receiver provides an output signal to an output terminal of the automobile entertainment device. A data processor is operably linked to the receiver for receiving a signal index of the content signal. The data processor is responsive to a predetermined signal index for actuating the receiver to select the specific channel corresponding to the predetermined signal index. A memory stores the predetermined signal index in accordance with an operator preference. Thus, the predetermined signal index enables the entertainment device to adaptively adjust to an operator's preferred content.