Abstract: Methods and systems for deciding whether, when, for how long, and/or where insertable image content will be displayed on top of a video presentation (i.e. existing image content) are disclosed. This can be for the imminent placement of insertable image content or a delayed placement of insertable image content. The decision making process depends upon the generation of a ‘cool map’. A cool map is a weighted map of the screen real estate that shows the areas that it would be practical to place insertable image content.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for processing media content to be rendered as a presentation for a user at a set of one or more media devices (60, 600) in an arrangement at a point in time, the presentation being based on layout rules (66b) defining suitability and configuration of media objects (55) for rendering, the arrangement and one or more user-associated characteristics and/or attributes constituting a context for the presentation which is formed of selected media objects from a set, the context having one or more constraints (66c), each constraint defining a property of the context affecting the rendering of at least a subset of the selected media objects (55).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for media content distribution. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method is disclosed comprising steps of: providing a plurality of media objects, including a default object, for selection by, unicast communication (27) to, and rendering by consumer entities (30a, 30b, 30c); receiving metadata (26) for a plurality of the consumer entities indicating an extent of use of at least a subset of the media objects by said consumer entities; applying a rule relating to the consumption of media objects by the consumer entities to the metadata; and responsive to the application of the rule, generating a composite of the default object and at least one other object for multicast communication (25) to at least a subset of the consumer entities.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for managing streamed audio communication sessions between user devices (50) configured to send streamed data indicative of received audio contributions from respective participants in a multiple-participant audio communication session via a communications network to one or more other user devices (50) for conversion to audio representations of said received audio contributions for other participants.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for selecting encoding specifications for encoding audio and/or video data to be streamed from a sender to a receiver via a network. Methods and apparatus for encoding data using a selected encoding specification, and for streaming data which has been encoded using a selected encoding specification from a sender to a receiver via a network are also disclosed. The selecting method comprises selecting an encoding specification (s930) in dependence on performance measures (86) previously obtained using a plurality of different encoding specifications in respect of a monitored network when in each of a plurality of different network conditions (87), respective network conditions being characterised by different combinations of data-transmission characteristics.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for selecting encoding specifications for encoding audio and/or video data to be streamed from a sender to a receiver via a network. Methods and apparatus for encoding data using a selected encoding specification, and for streaming data which has been encoded using a selected encoding specification from a sender to a receiver via a network are also disclosed. The selecting method comprises selecting an encoding specification (s930) in dependence on performance measures (86) previously obtained using a plurality of different encoding specifications in respect of a monitored network when in each of a plurality of different network conditions (87), respective network conditions being characterised by different combinations of data-transmission characteristics.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for managing streamed audio communication sessions between user devices (50) configured to send streamed data indicative of received audio contributions from respective participants in a multiple-participant audio communication session via a communications network to one or more other user devices (50) for conversion to audio representations of said received audio contributions for other participants.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems are disclosed for managing streamed communication (such as video, audio, or audio-visual communication) between client devices and remote devices via a digital data communication network in situations where the data communication network comprises one or more routers operable to receive streamed data from one or more client devices and/or from one or more other routers, and to forward such streamed data to one or more remote devices and/or to one or more other routers such as to enable the client device and potentially-varying subsets of the one or more remote devices to participate in a communication session.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems are disclosed for managing streamed communication (such as video, audio, or audio-visual communication) between client devices and remote devices via a digital data communication network in situations where the data communication network comprises one or more routers operable to receive streamed data from one or more client devices and/or from one or more other routers, and to forward such streamed data to one or more remote devices and/or to one or more other routers such as to enable the client device and potentially-varying subsets of the one or more remote devices to participate in a communication session.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a non-linear narrative article. After generation of a non-linear narrative article from a set of narrative rules and accompanying media elements, the narrative is optimised and the media elements are also optimised into a dictionary. A narrative tree generator determines all possible paths through the narrative to generate a narrative tree and redundant parts are removed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus 400 are provided for carrying out conversion of structured information data sets structured according to a first predefined structure 405 into data sets structured according to a second predefined structure 410 by way of an intermediate data structure 300. Conversion rules 420 are defined to convert from each of the first 405 and second 410 predefined structures into the intermediate data structure 300 and from the intermediate data structure 300 into each of the first 405 and second 410 predefined structures. A pre-processor 435 is provided to carry out initial processing tasks 425 on a received data set 405 to make it more susceptible to structural processing 440 according to the conversion rules 420, and a post-processor 445 is provided to carry out tasks 430 such as vocabulary and data type conversion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the automatic composition of media articles is disclosed. Previous attempts to do this have involved the manual production of a detailed framework listing the types of media elements that might be inserted into the slots specified in that framework and the subsequent selection of media elements for those slots. The present invention improves upon this by associating metadata (51) with the media elements in a content store, which metadata includes relationship data indicating how what is portrayed by that media element relates to what is portrayed by one or more other media elements. Because relationship metadata is included media articles can be generated automatically with the need for the production of a detailed framework describing that media article.