Abstract: A method, system and computer control logic to provide personalization of a viewer's usage of an Internet TV platform. The method includes tracking a viewer's interactive usage pattern of the TV platform; generating viewer usage data based on the tracking; analyzing the viewer usage data on a substantially real-time basis; and personalizing the viewer's usage of the TV platform on a based on an analysis the viewer usage data.

Abstract: Video sources may be located on the Internet and particular videos at those sources may be selected for subsequent replay by using graphical controls provided, for example, in connection with a browser. These controls may permit the use of select, particular video segments for subsequent replay by adding them to a playlist. Then when the user has assembled the playlist in the order desired, the play of the playlist can be selected. The playlist video may then be displayed for the user on a remote display, such as a high definition television display. At the same time, the user's computer screen may display a control view which allows the user to view and add annotations and to control the play of a video on the high definition television screen.

Abstract: Techniques for two-way authentication between two communication endpoints (e.g., two devices) using a one-way out-of-band (OOB) channel are presented. Here, in embodiments, both communication endpoints may be securely authenticated as long as the one-way OOB channel is tamper-proof. Embodiments of the invention do not require the one-way OOB channel to be private to ensure that both endpoints are securely authenticated. Since providing a two-way or private OOB channel adds to the cost of a platform, embodiments of the invention provide for a simple and secure method for two-way authentication that uses only a non-private one-way OOB channel and thus helping to reduce platform cost. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and systems to provide targeted advertising in a subscription television setting, wherein the households that receive the targeted advertisement may retain anonymity. This may be achieved by marrying an anonymization protocol and infrastructure with a mechanism for STB selection and reporting. This anonymizes the set of households that are selected to play an ad, by ensuring that when an STB meets defined criteria and sends a ‘criteria met’ message (during the selection process) or ‘ad shown’ message (during a validation or counting process) to a head end, an STB or household identifier is not revealed, thus anonymizing the household information from the head end. In addition, this allows the head end to control the ad campaign process by advertising only to those households that meet specified criteria, and to count the number of actual instances in which an ad was displayed.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that involve detecting and tracking groups of people associated with a user device (e.g., people watching television), and customizing the experience to the group. Various features may be employed. Such features may include classification of individuals, identification of commonly occurring groupings of people, and identification of the presence of group outsiders. Based on the presence of such individuals, groups, and/or outsiders, delivery of information to the user device may be controlled.

Abstract: Techniques for two-way authentication between two communication endpoints (e.g., two devices) using a one-way out-of-band (OOB) channel are presented. Here, in embodiments, both communication endpoints may be securely authenticated as long as the one-way OOB channel is tamper-proof. Embodiments of the invention do not require the one-way OOB channel to be private to ensure that both endpoints are securely authenticated. Since providing a two-way or private OOB channel adds to the cost of a platform, embodiments of the invention provide for a simple and secure method for two-way authentication that uses only a non-private one-way OOB channel and thus helping to reduce platform cost. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a mobile device, comprising a processor adapted to deliver purchase recommendations to a user of the mobile device based on an interactive mobile shopping application by interacting by the user with the mobile device, and on which the interactive mobile shopping application resides, to refine the user's interests and obtain recommendations for alternative products that may better fit the user's needs, and wherein the mobile device is further adapted to collect information about the user's in-market interests and overall shopping patterns thereby allowing opportunities for targeted advertising.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a mobile device, comprising a processor adapted to use probabilistic techniques in trending and profiling of a user of the mobile device's behavior in order to offer recommendations by detecting patterns in the user behavior over time and thereby enabling said mobile device to predict what the user is likely to do on a given day or what the user intends to accomplish in an action that has begun.

Abstract: Briefly, a method and apparatus for recognizing temporal tapping patterns input to a touch panel interface is disclosed. The method may include receiving user input with a touch panel interface, recognizing a temporal tapping pattern in the user input, and performing an action associated with the temporal tapping pattern.

Abstract: Briefly, a method and apparatus for recognizing multi-shape, multi-touch gestures including finger and non-finger touches input to a touch panel interface is disclosed. The method may include receiving user input with a touch panel interface, recognizing a multi-shape, multi-touch gesture including finger and non-finger touches in the user input, and performing an action associated with the multi-touch gesture including finger and non-finger touches.

Abstract: Briefly, a method and apparatus for recognizing movement of one or more touches across a location on a keyboard grid on a touch panel interface is disclosed. The method may receiving user input with a touch panel interface, recognizing movement of one or more touches across a location on a keyboard grid on the touch panel interface, and performing an action associated with the movement of one or more touches across the location on the keyboard grid on the touch panel interface.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of relationship characterization and utilization from a user's social network, comprising, using monitoring agents for the user's social network to create a unique profile of each contact in the social network by feeding data into a context aware framework, clustering raw data by extracting common interests and relevant keywords, thereby creating rich context-aware lists of keywords that characterize relationships among users of the social networks, and providing an interface to query the lists.

Abstract: Briefly, a method and apparatus for recognizing a series of touches with varying intensity or angle of descending on a touch panel interface is disclosed. The method comprises receiving user input with a touch panel interface, recognizing a series of touches with varying intensity or angle of descending on the touch panel interface, and performing an action associated with the series of touches with varying intensity or angle of descending on the touch panel interface.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an Internet access device, comprising a processor adapted to provide recommendation-guided Internet purchases by identifying purchasing opportunities that would be directly relevant to a user of said Internet access device, wherein the Internet access device would utilize context received from the user's constellation of devices to develop a profile of the user's purchasing behavior, and automatically offer purchasing opportunities that are most likely to be of interest to the user.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of template-based prediction and recommendation, comprising utilizing templates that consist of a sequence of activities or locations to characterize a user's day by a personal device, wherein as the user goes about a day, the personal device attempts to match pre-existing templates to the user's location and activities, assigning a probability to each template; and using the matching templates to predict what the user will do next and thus narrow down a set of logical recommendations.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a personal device associated with a user adapted to optimize a route based on goals by predicting by the personal device associated with the user where the user is going and the user's degree of time flexibility in order to optimize a route and recommend specific stops along the way. The specific stops may be selected according to a number of goals that can be achieved at a specific stop.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of offering anonymous incentive based context to service providers, comprising delivering context information of a user to the service provider, wherein prior to delivery of the context information to the service provider, the context is anonymized by removing identifying information and aggregating it with context from additional users.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of determining when a user is in-market for a specific product and knowing general shopping preferences and habits of users, comprising using web browsing behavior to determine the products the user is interested in purchasing and how the user typically likes to shop and wherein the web browsing behavior is determined by watching some or all web pages loaded and analyzing at least a URL, page text, and cookies associated with each loaded web page.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method, comprising capturing context information of a user and using heuristics based on a common knowledge database to turn location tracked over time combined with the context information into semantic location information. Embodiments of the present invention may further provide creating and identifying said heuristics and wherein trace data of GPS coordinates are obtained continuously throughout the user's day and first clustered to identify interesting locations, then up-leveled to a street address or business name and then semantically interpreted in one of several categories.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method, comprising offering incentive based context to service providers by capturing context information of a user and integrating an approval service to verify authorization for access to the user context and distributing the context information to the service provider, wherein the service provider provides an incentive to the user for the context information.