Abstract: Techniques involving unified messaging and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe receiving a message at a web service from a messaging client and identifying a communication device that includes telephone functionality and is configured to format the message as a short messaging service (SMS) message. The SMS message may be identified by a phone number associated with the communication device. The message may then be sent to the communication device for automatic transmission of the SMS message by the communication device over a phone network.

Abstract: A subjective information record for inputting data that enables subjective information about a multimedia content to be represented with well defined syntax and semantics and linked to the multimedia content. The record includes a field for inputting data that identifies a multimedia content and a location of the multimedia content; a field for inputting data that identifies an author of subjective information about the multimedia content; a field for a language of the subjective information; and a field for subjective information about the content.

Abstract: Techniques involving unified messaging and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe receiving a message at a web service from a messaging client and identifying a communication device that includes telephone functionality and is configured to format the message as a short messaging service (SMS) message. The SMS message may be identified by a phone number associated with the communication device. The message may then be sent to the communication device for automatic transmission of the SMS message by the communication device over a phone network.

Abstract: Multimedia information retrieval is performed using meta-descriptors in addition to descriptors. A “descriptor” is a representation of a feature, a “feature” being a distinctive characteristic of multimedia information, while a “meta-descriptor” is information about the descriptor. Meta-descriptors are generated for multimedia information in a repository (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) by extracting the descriptors from the multimedia information (111), clustering the multimedia information based on the descriptors (112), assigning meta-descriptors to each cluster (113), and attaching the meta-descriptors to the multimedia information in the repository (114).

Abstract: The described implementations provide for referencing locally and remotely deployed resources in a television-based entertainment system. The entertainment system includes a content provider or network server. The network server accesses a digital broadcast network via any one of multiple different digital broadcasting protocols. The network server distributes source content to a head end component of the system, which in turn distributes the source content to a client device such as a set-top box. The source content includes a number of embedded references to resources such as those deployed locally by the set-top box and/or deployed remotely by the network server. The set-top box utilizes a mapping table to determine actual values of syntactical abstractions in syntax of the embedded references to access and/or launch at least one locally or remotely deployed resource.

Abstract: Systems and methods for communication of content over a network are described. In an implementation, a method is described which includes mapping a network address of a request for content to a multicast address and determining if the requested content is available via the multicast address. If not, the request is communicated to a content provider that is configured to provide the content for communication via multicast address.

Abstract: The described implementations provide for referencing locally and remotely deployed resources in a television-based entertainment system. The entertainment system includes a content provider or network server. The network server accesses a digital broadcast network via any one of multiple different digital broadcasting protocols. The network server distributes source content to a head end component of the system, which in turn distributes the source content to a client device such as a set-top box. The source content includes a number of embedded references to resources such as those deployed locally by the set-top box and/or deployed remotely by the network server. The set-top box utilizes a mapping table to determine actual values of syntactical abstractions in syntax of the embedded references to access and/or launch at least one locally or remotely deployed resource.

Abstract: Multimedia information retrieval is performed using meta-descriptors in addition to descriptors. A “descriptor” is a representation of a feature, a “feature” being a distinctive characteristic of multimedia information, while a “meta-descriptor” is information about the descriptor. Meta-descriptors are generated for multimedia information in a repository (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) by extracting the descriptors from the multimedia information (111), clustering the multimedia information based on the descriptors (112), assigning meta-descriptors to each cluster (113), and attaching the meta-descriptors to the multimedia information in the repository (114).

Abstract: A system and method for non-intrusively embedding a multimedia advertisement associated with an object in an audiovisual program provided by one of various sources. The advertisement may be accessed and extracted from the program by pointing and clicking on the object while the object is displayed. A summary of advertisements may thereby be created. The accessed advertisements may be bookmarked or stored to create the summary. A user may create a profile of preferred types(s) of advertisements to filter out the display of advertisements for undesired types of advertisements.

Abstract: Multimedia information retrieval is performed using meta-descriptors in addition to descriptors. A “descriptor” is a representation of a feature, a “feature” being a distinctive characteristic of multimedia information, while a “meta-descriptor” is information about the descriptor. Meta-descriptors are generated for multimedia information in a repository (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) by extracting the descriptors from the multimedia information (111), clustering the multimedia information based on the descriptors (112), assigning meta-descriptors to each cluster (113), and attaching the meta-descriptors to the multimedia information in the repository (114).

Abstract: A subjective information record for inputting data that enables subjective information about a multimedia content to be represented with well defined syntax and semantics and linked to the multimedia content. The record includes a field for inputting data that identifies a multimedia content and a location of the multimedia content; a field for inputting data that identifies an author of subjective information about the multimedia content; a field for a language of the subjective information; and a field for subjective information about the content.