Abstract: A device and a method for annotating content is provided. The device may comprise a means to analyze the content (150) and generate a first output (205) based upon the analysis of the content, a means to generate an annotation request (230), a means to communicate (130), the means to communicate being adapted to distribute the annotation request to at least one other device and to receive an annotation result from the at least one other device and a means to combine (240) the first output and the annotation result to provide an improved output. By combining multiple independent results of content analysis algorithms from different devices, possibly based upon background different knowledge a higher quality result is provided for the annotation.

Abstract: A method of managing a distributed storage system (1) comprising a plurality of storage devices (D1, D2, . . . , Dn) on a network (N), wherein an autonomous function can be assigned to any storage device (D1, D2, . . . , Dn) of the distributed storage system (N), which autonomous function comprises collecting content according to a configurable profile (3) for the storage device (D1, D2, . . . , Dn) to which the autonomous function is assigned, and wherein a first storage device (D1, D2, . . . , Dn) of the distributed storage system (1), before leaving the network (N), delegates the responsibility for an autonomous function of that first storage device (D1, D2, . . . , Dn) to a second storage device (D1, D2, . . . , Dn) of the distributed storage system (1), and wherein the second storage device assumes responsibility for the autonomous function of the first storage device (D1, D2, . . .

Abstract: A portable data storage device (1) is disclosed to be used for organizing content (10, 11, 18) available to the data storage device (1). The device comprises means (12) for setting an information source (6) for a storage profile (9), a means (3) for receiving storage profile update data (7) from the information source (6), a means (4) for updating the storage profile (9) based upon the storage profile update data (7), a means (2) for organizing content (10, 11) based upon the storage profile (9) and a means (12, 13) for triggering the means (3) for receiving storage profile update data (7) from the information source (6). The device (1) is capable of organizing content in a dynamic manner based on data storage profiles that are also dynamic in nature whilst requiring minimum user intervention.

Abstract: A data storage system comprises a plurality of portable data storage devices (12) coupled via a network (10). Each of the portable data storage devices (12) has an associated storage profile, which defines a which data objects will be stored in the storage device. A recommended profile for at least one of the portable data storage devices us automatically generated, using the steps of—collecting profile information about storage profiles for portable data storage devices (12) other than the at least one of the portable data storage devices (12) and/or data object information about properties of data objects stored by the portable data storage devices (12) other than the at least one of the portable data storage devices (12), —using the profile information and/or data information to guide generation of the recommended storage profile.

Abstract: Silences are detected when a local signal power is below a given fixed or relative threshold value, the duration of the local signal power being below the given fixed or relative threshold value is within a first range and at least one of the parameters signal power fall/rise rate and local power deviation falls within a respective further range. The invention further relates to the use of such a silence detection in a receiver (1).

Abstract: A device and a method for annotating content is provided. The device may comprise a means to analyse the content (150) and generate a first output (205) based upon the analysis of the content, a means to generate an annotation request (230), a means to communicate (130), the means to communicate being adapted to distribute the annotation request to at least one other device and to receive an annotation result from the at least one other device and a means to combine (240) the first output and the annotation result to provide an improved output. By combining multiple independent results of content analysis algorithms from different devices, possibly based upon background different knowledge a higher quality result is provided for the annotation.

Abstract: A method of managing a distributed storage system (1) comprising a plurality of storage devices (D1, D2 . . . , Dn) on a network (N), wherein an autonomous function can be assigned to any storage device (D1, D2 . . . , Dn) of the distributed storage system (N), which autonomous function comprises collecting content according to a configurable profile (3) for the storage device (D1, D2 . . . , Dn) to which the autonomous function is assigned, and wherein a first storage device (D1, D2, . . . , Dn) of the distributed storage system (1), before leaving the network (N), delegates the responsibility for an autonomous function of that first storage device (D1, D2 . . . , Dn) to a second storage device (D1, D2 . . . , Dn) of the distributed storage system (1), and wherein the second storage device assumes responsibility for the autonomous function of the first storage device (D1, D2 . . .

Abstract: A data storage system comprises a plurality of portable data storage devices (12) coupled via a network (10). Each of the portable data storage devices (12) has an associated storage profile, which defines a which data objects will be stored in the storage device. A recommended profile for at least one of the portable data storage devices us automatically generated, using the steps of—collecting profile information about storage profiles for portable data storage devices (12) other than the at least one of the portable data storage devices (12) and/or data object information about properties of data objects stored by the portable data storage devices (12) other than the at least one of the portable data storage devices (12), —using the profile information and/or data information to guide generation of the recommended storage profile.

Abstract: A portable data storage device (1) is disclosed to be used for organizing content (10, 11, 18) available to the data storage device (1). The device comprises means (12) for setting an information source (6) for a storage profile (9), a means (3) for receiving storage profile update data (7) from the information source (6), a means (4) for updating the storage profile (9) based upon the storage profile update data (7), a means (2) for organizing content (10, 11) based upon the storage profile (9) and a means (12, 13) for triggering the means (3) for receiving storage profile update data (7) from the information source (6). The device (1) is capable of organizing content in a dynamic manner based on data storage profiles that are also dynamic in nature whilst requiring minimum user intervention.

Abstract: A system (11, 50) and method is disclosed to be used for physically locating content (12) in a network (10). Further, a device is disclosed for use in the system and a computer program product enabling the disclosed method. The system comprises an input means (53) allowing a user to identify content (12) which is to be physically located, for example, via a computer or television user interface. A device (11) storing the content (12) is identified physically within the network. The device provides a signal (45) which the user is physically susceptible to, for example, a visual indication. The user is therefore assisted in the physical location of content that has been virtualised in the network. Such a system is especially useful when the device comprised within the network is a portable storage device that the user would like to quickly locate and take away.

Abstract: Estimating a signal power in a compressed audio signal [A] is provided, the audio signal comprising blocks of quantized samples, a given block being provided with a set of scale factors. The estimating is performed by extracting the set of scale factors from the compressed audio signal, and estimating the signal power in the given block based on a combination of the scale factors. Advantageously, the extracting step and estimating step are performed on only a sub-set of the set of scale factors. The signal power estimation may be used in a silence detector (11) for use in a receiver (1).

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: An apparatus for content indexing uses processing parameters that become available while processing multimedia content. One embodiment of this processing includes compression. A video processor receives multimedia content and generates processed multimedia content. A system for content analysis receives processing parameters from the video processor, where the processing parameters are separate from the processed multimedia content and are generated as a result of processing the multimedia content. The system for content analysis generates content descriptors representative for the multimedia content, responsively to the processing parameters generated during or while processing, e.g., encoding or decoding, the multimedia content.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (101) for content analysis. The system (101) comprises an interface receiving a video signal in accordance with a first encoding standard, such as H.264. The interface is coupled to an extraction processor (107) which extracts video coding data from the video signal. The video coding data is fed to a conversion processor (109) which converts the video coding data to video coding data according to a second video encoding standard, such as MPEG-2. The conversion converts the extracted video data to video coding data related to a common encoding block size, for example, by grouping smaller blocks and averaging the video parameters to provide video coding parameters related to larger block sizes. The converted data is fed to a content analysis processor (111) which performs content analysis based on the converted data. A content analysis algorithm for one video encoding standard may thus be used for a different video encoding standard.

Abstract: An outgoing video stream is produced in a plurality of video modes, including a live play mode in which an input task (20) is coupled to a decoding task (22), a pause mode in which the input task (20) is coupled to a recording task (24), and a time-shift mode in which the input task (20) is coupled to the recording task (24) and a replay task (26) is coupled to the decoding task (22). In different modes, different subsets of the tasks (20, 22, 24, 26) or all of the tasks (20, 22, 24, 26) are active. FIFO communication buffers (16a-d) are used to communicate between the tasks (20, 22, 24, 26). Switching between the video modes is realized by reassigning connections of tasks (20, 22, 24, 26) to respective ones of the communication buffers (16a-d), keeping previous data in the reassigned FIFO communication buffers (16a-d).

Abstract: An apparatus for playing video content includes a play means (100) for playing video content. The video content includes overlapping scenes (621, 622, 641, 642, 661, 662, 681, 682), with each scene having an associated scene signature. A scene hopping selector (44) is operative while the play means (100) is playing video content for selecting a hop. The selecting defines a current scene (102) which the play means (100) is playing at a time of the selection, and a current scene signature corresponding to the current scene (102). A similar scene hopping processor (104) operates responsive to a defining of a current scene (102). The similar scene hopping processor (104) compares the current scene signature with other scene signatures of the video content to identify a similar scene (106). The similar scene hopping processor (104) causes the play means (100) to transfer the playing to the similar scene (106).

Abstract: The method of content identification consists of creating a signature to comprise one or more sub-signatures. A sub-signature is created by averaging values of a feature in multiple frames of a content item (24). The electronics device (62) is able to retrieve a first signature of a first content item from a storage means (66) and to receive a second content item using a receiver (68). The device has a control unit (70) which is able to create one or more sub-signatures by averaging values of one or more features in multiple frames of the second content item and using the one or more sub-signatures to create a second signature. The control unit (70) is also able to determine similarity between the two signatures by determining similarity of sub-signatures for a similar feature. The software is able to create a signature for a content item by averaging values of a feature in multiple frames in a sequence of frames in the content item.

Abstract: The invention relates to a video recorder unit which has a receiver (211) receiving mixed content video channels (101,103,105) having a mixed content of special content clips (111,117,123,127,129,133,135,139,149) and programs (107,113,119,125,131,137,138,141,145). A detection processor (213) detects the special content clips and an extraction controller (215) extracts the clips and stores them in the memory (217). A group controller (219) groups the special content clips and a play back video generator (225) plays back the group of the special content clips. In this way, the user is presented with a continuous sequence of special content clips extracted from the plurality of mixed content channels whereby a virtual channel of special content clips, such as previews or trailers, is generated.

Abstract: A method of detection of a content property in a data stream on basis of low-level features is proposed. The method comprises: determining (202) a behavior feature (e.g. 320) from a sequence of the low-level features; determining (204) to which one of the predetermined clusters (304) of behavior features (318-328) within a behavior feature space (300) the determined behavior feature (320) belongs; determining a confidence level of the content property presence on basis of the determined cluster (304) of behavior features and the determined behavior feature; and detecting the content property on basis of the confidence level of the content property presence.

Abstract: The sharp price decrease of storage media enabled users to store more and faster content in contrary to the past. In the near future they will be overwhelmed by the amount of data stored on storage media. Because of the enormous amount of information, they will not be able to index the multimedia content stored manually for later retrieval. Tools to support the users are required. The disadvantage of these algorithms is that they are very expensive in terms of processing power and therefore not feasible for consumer storage devices. The invention proposes an apparatus for content indexing using processing parameters that come available while processing multimedia content. One embodiment of this processing is compression, processing which is performed with almost all multimedia content before it is stored.