Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of operating a recommender system arranged for being coupled to a computer implemented social network (200). The present invention furthermore relates to a corresponding computer program and to a corresponding recommender system (100) arranged for being coupled to a computer implemented social network (200). In particular, the present invention relates to a recommender system (100) being configured to provide a recommendation (172) relating to a content item being highly discussed in the social network (200), without the recommendation being necessarily based on some kind of a correlation between characteristics of a recipient (10) of the recommendation on the one side and characteristics of content items to be recommended and/or characteristics of contacts/friends of the recipient (10) on the other side.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a light sensing system for sensing ambient light intensity, comprising a light sensing device with at least one light sensor and a calibration device for calibrating the sensor. The calibration device comprises at least one light source that emits light with a standard intensity. The invention is further related to a corresponding method for calibrating a light sensing device, comprising the illumination of the light sensor of the light sensing device with light that has a standard intensity, the comparison of the output intensity signal of the sensor with an expected signal that corresponds to the standard intensity, and the matching of the output intensity signal of the sensor to the expected signal by adjusting a gain parameter of the sensor.

Abstract: A method of operating an apparatus for displaying content items on a display, a corresponding computer program for operating an apparatus and an apparatus for displaying content items on a display that is arranged for being coupled to the apparatus are provided. In particular, an apparatus is configured to display a plurality of content items in a two-dimensional grid in dependence of a respective relatedness between a selected content item and one of the content items to be displayed. The selected content item is positioned at a center of the display and the related content items are displayed such that associated relatedness values decrease both in left, right, up and down direction with respect to the center position. A user terminal that comprises such apparatus is provided.

Abstract: The method for manufacturing tubular knitted articles (M) comprises the steps of: a) knitting a tubular knitted article (M) with the needle cylinder (3); b) transferring loops (MA) of a last-formed course of loops from the needles (5) of the needle cylinder (3) onto the pick-up members (27A, 27B) of a transfer unit (21), divided into two circular half-rings (25A, 25B, 27A, 27B) which can be overturned over each other; c) overturning one of the circular half-rings (25A, 25B, 27A, 27B) of pick-up members (27B) onto the other so as to arrange two edge portions of the final edge of the tubular knitted article (M) one onto the other; d) joining the two edge portions to one another by means of joining stitches (A, B, C, D) formed in intermediate spaces between adjacent pick-up members (27A), whereon the knitted tubular article (M) is retained; e) unloading the knitted tubular article (M) with the closed toe from the transfer unit (21).

Abstract: An air quality alert system provides a signal which indicates whether or not a door or window should be (fully or partially) opened or closed. The system takes account of the air quality in a first area (e.g. outdoors) as well as the proximity of the user to a door or window so that information is only provided when the user is situated at the door or window. This avoids overloading the user with unwanted information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method and a computer program product for controlling a recommender system, wherein a user profile normally used by a recommender to predict user ratings is employed to generate a targeted query for the remote database yielding a set of results that can be scored by the recommender and provided as suggestions to the user.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to a light sensing system configured to determine an amount of ambient light exposure experienced by a subject. The present invention wirelessly exchanges light information between different wearable devices of the same user and/or between devices of different users. Local and/or central light profile databases are built-up by the system and are shared between the devices so that light data that is typical for a location at a specific time of day and year can be used to estimate current ambient light levels for situations in which no measurement can be taken.

Abstract: A method of providing a report of experiences of members of a group of users includes: making available a content data compilation compiled from at least items of content data obtained in association with different members of the group; —obtaining data associated with at least one member of the group; and using the data associated with at least one member to cause at least one message to be output on at least one device (8-11) associated with at least one member of the group. At least part of the content data compilation is based on information provided in response to the at least one message by the at least one member with whom the device (8-11) is associated. In one embodiment, a “family news reporter” scenario is proposed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method and a computer program product for controlling a recommender system, wherein a user profile normally used by a recommender to predict user ratings is employed to generate a targeted query for the remote database yielding a set of results that can be scored by the recommender and provided as suggestions to the user.

Abstract: A recommendation engine interface is provided having an image construction unit (30) provided with respective modules to assign to each content item a respective region in a space defined by the intermediate coordinates (x,y), to assign to each region a depth value (z), that corresponds to a recommendation value for a content item to which said region is assigned, to map to each region respective image data (f(i)) of the content item to which said region is assigned, and to combine said respective image data (f(i)) and said respective depth value (d(i)) for the regions assigned to the content items in said subset into three-dimensional image data (g(x,y,z)) to be provided to a display facility (40).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a light sensing system for sensing ambient light intensity, comprising a light sensing device with at least one light sensor and a calibration device for calibrating the sensor. The calibration device comprises at least one light source that emits light with a standard intensity. The invention is further related to a corresponding method for calibrating a light sensing device, comprising the illumination of the light sensor of the light sensing device with light that has a standard intensity, the comparison of the output intensity signal of the sensor with an expected signal that corresponds to the standard intensity, and the matching of the output intensity signal of the sensor to the expected signal by adjusting a gain parameter of the sensor.

Abstract: A data base system is disclosed for storing meta-data about labeled predominantly non-text items in a collection of labeled predominantly non-text items (lpnt items). The system comprises a storage facility (10), a keyword generation facility (20) and a meta-data enrichment facility (30). The storage facility (10) stores respective meta-data for lpnt items (i) within said collection, said meta-data comprising at least one lpnt item classification (gi) and a 1pnt item description (Ti), said classification defining classes. The keyword generation facility (20), which generates keyword data for respective classes, comprises a retrieval module for retrieving terms from lpnt item descriptions of 1pnt items associated with said classes.

Abstract: For the negotiation of an operator of a media-on-demand platform with its content providers a method and system for efficiently compiling media content items for the media-on-demand platform is provided. The method makes use of a combination of a recommender system to select a suitable set of media content items to be offered for a next period of service and a number-of-rentals predictor for estimating how many videos individual users will rent the following period of service. Furthermore, the method and system can be executed for estimating profit or loss from rentals over the following period of service as well as estimate customer satisfaction.

Abstract: A system (1) comprises a media receiver (10) for receiving a broadcast signal comprising media data, a rendering device (20) for providing an audible and/or visual output from the media data, and a user equipment (30) capable of exchanging messages (M) via an internet service (40), the user equipment (30) having an media item comment option for submitting a message (MSG) about a media item. The user equipment (30) is arranged for issuing a data request signal (DRQ) to the media receiver if the user selects the media item comment option and the media receiver is arranged for providing extracted representative information (RINF) about a portion of the media item that is reproduced when or shortly before the request is received, and for providing said representative information (RINF) to the user equipment (30). The user equipment (30) is capable of including said representative information in said message (MSG) about a media item.

Abstract: A method and a device for adjusting filter parameters comprises a display, a physical user interface, a memory and a processing unit. The memory comprises a sorted list of items in an ordered manner, the order determined by their rank, and each item has at least one feature-value pair that represents a value of a feature of the item. The processing unit generates a graphical representation of the items in the list in an ordered manner on the display. The processing unit responds to the user interface so as to allow a user to re-order (rearrange) and/or drop items in the graphical representation of the list of items; it modifies the rank of the items in the list, and it determines a like-degree for at least some of the feature-value pairs.

Abstract: A device and a method for automatic generation of a recommendation for an item p to a user u. The device is at least indirectly connected to an item database containing a user profile database and a user interrelation database. A standard recommender engine accesses the item database and user profile database to calculate a score s(p,u) in a [0,1] interval indicating a “like” degree of an item p for user u based on a user profile of user u. The device further has a content discovery recommender to access the user interrelation database and to find at least users v that have a direct connection to user u to determine a fraction of the users v that know an item p and to generate a recommendation based on the score s(p,u) of item p.

Abstract: A method and system for transmitting channels to at least one digital video recorder is described. A server receives at least one recording schedule from a plurality of digital video recorders (step 304). A subset of channels is selected from the channels associated with the at least one program identification of the received at least one recording schedule (step 306). Information is transmitted from the server to at least one of the plurality of digital video recorders, the information indicating channels associated with the at least one program identification of the at least one recording schedule that were not selected (step 308). The selected subset of channels is also transmitted from the server to at least one of the plurality of digital video recorders (step 310).

Abstract: A method of substituting a primary content (110) being transmitted on a primary channel (100) with a secondary content (220) corresponding to a content being transmitted on a secondary channel (200), characterized by substituting the secondary content in response to a highlight occurring in the content transmitted on the secondary channel (210-3), said secondary content (220) being a summary of the content already transmitted on the secondary channel. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program being transmitted on the secondary channel (200) corresponds to a live event.

Abstract: Automatic generation of questions and evaluation answers about a media item is provided for a system such as a video on demand system. A virtually unlimited number of questions can be generated without the need for subjective information. Questions about a media item are generated by selecting a media segment of the media item. At least part of the media item within the selected media segment is shown to a user. The user is asked to indicate a position within the media item where the user thinks that the segment is located. The indicated position is compared to the actual position of the segment to evaluate the answer.

Abstract: A method for coaching a subject, including receiving data corresponding to at least one of a desired behavior of the subject or an undesired behavior of the subject, receiving a level of available self control of the subject via an input source, calculating a level of required self control needed to perform the desired behavior or suppress the undesired behavior, analyzing a risk based on the level of available self control and the level of required self control, where the risk is associated with predicting whether the subject will perform the undesired behavior or not perform the desired behavior, and intervening when the risk analyzed is above a particular threshold.