Abstract: The present invention monitors a user's activities to determine how much attention he is paying to one or more devices. Based on the information gathered about the user's current “attention profile,” a “user-interaction parameter” is set that reflects where the user's attention is focused and, ideally, how much of his attention is given to each device. Then, based on the user-interaction parameter, the user interface of at least one of the user's devices is configured to optimize the user's interactions, given the amount of attention he is currently giving to this user interface. If the user is giving the majority of his attention to the television, for example, then the user interface of a companion device can be configured to emphasize the types of interactions available to a user who is not actively watching the companion device.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for processing display data. The display data specify one or more presentations (e.g., digital signage information) for displaying to a user on an end-user device (e.g., a digital signage device). One or more processors receive one or more criteria (e.g., “user preferences”) and the display data. The one or more processors select some or all of the received display data. This selection may be dependent upon the one or more criteria. The one or more processors then provide, for display by the end-user device, the selected display data. This provision may be dependent upon the one or more criteria.

Abstract: The present invention monitors a user's activities to determine how much attention he is paying to one or more devices. Based on the information gathered about the user's current “attention profile,” a “user-interaction parameter” is set that reflects where the user's attention is focused and, ideally, how much of his attention is given to each device. Then, based on the user-interaction parameter, the user interface of at least one of the user's devices is configured to optimize the user's interactions, given the amount of attention he is currently giving to this user interface. If the user is giving the majority of his attention to the television, for example, then the user interface of a companion device can be configured to emphasize the types of interactions available to a user who is not actively watching the companion device.

Abstract: A method (300) and apparatus (110, 150) collect and upload implicit analytic data. The method can include storing (320) dependency rules corresponding explicit events to implicit events. The method can include collecting (330) and storing (340) implicit event data corresponding to implicit events. The method can include receiving (350) an explicit event at the device. The method can include evaluating (360) dependency rules corresponding to the explicit event. The method can include identifying (370) a relevant subset of implicit event data corresponding to the explicit event based on evaluating the dependency rules. The method can include uploading (390) the relevant subset of the implicit event data and explicit event data corresponding to the explicit event.

Abstract: A “personal television channel” is created for a user by a television head-end server. The personal channel has its own playlist that can include, in addition to service offerings from a television-delivery service, content stored locally by the user, media sent to the user from third parties (e.g., an electronic magazine publisher), and messages from other users. The user selects the personal channel just as he would select any other television channel. He then sees a playlist for the personal channel (which may be integrated into a general electronic program guide (“EPG”) supplied by the television provider). The user selects and plays content from the playlist just as he would interact with a traditional EPG. The user can specify local content to be included in his personal channel. He can also send content to another user to be included in the playlist of the recipient's personal channel.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for modeling the cognitive impact of content displayed on a first device on a user engaged with a second device. An exemplary method involves obtaining activity by the user associated with the second device when content is displayed on the first device, determining an impact metric for the content, and correlating the impact metric with the user activity for the user. In another embodiment, an exemplary content-management system includes a campaign-management system to provide content displayed on a first device and an impact-modeling system to capture user activity on a second device when the content is displayed on the first device, determine an impact metric for the content, and correlate the impact metric to the user activity for the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for presenting content to a user. An exemplary method involves establishing a relationship between a first device and the user, wherein, based on the relationship, one or more instances of secondary content are automatically excluded from display by the first device while primary content is displayed by the first device. The method continues by presenting an instance of secondary content to the user in a manner that is influenced by the relationship.

Abstract: Subscribers to a television-delivery service can send and receive messages within a television-viewing environment. A subscriber can create a message, attach content from the television environment, and send the message to a friend, all without leaving the television environment. A television producer controls its rights to the content by allowing subscribers to select and send some content while preventing other content from being incorporated in a message. Rights can be checked at the sender site, at the recipient site, and in between by a message-transport service. In some situations, the recipient may not have sufficient rights to view the entire message. Specifically, the recipient's subscription level may not allow access to some of the message content that was pulled from the sender's television-delivery service. In this case, the recipient may take corrective action or may view the message with the restricted content replaced with alternative content.

Abstract: The pervasive visibility of television and other screens is leveraged to present task offers to users. A task broker gives the user an incentive if he accepts and successfully performs the task. To be effective, the task broker first collects profile information about the user. Some of the profile information is used to determine what tasks are appropriate for a given user based, for example, on that user's competencies. Other profile information characterizes the user's current level of activity and, based on that, his “interruptibility.” Tasks and incentives can be chosen based on user-profile information including, for example, demographics and the user's previous interactions with the task broker. Information about the user's successful completion of a task can be used to update the user's profile, and future task offers are based on this updated profile information.

Abstract: The pervasive visibility of television and other screens is leveraged to present pop-up alerts to users. These alerts can be made to appear on any channel at any time, but they are formatted in a way that suits the differing policies of the various channel providers. When an alert is received, an “alert mediator” determines which channel is currently being played on a first user device. The alert mediator reviews alert-rendering rules for that particular channel and prepares the alert according to those rendering rules. The alert is then presented either to that first user device or to a second user device. A rule can provide for “skinning” the alert so that the alert fits in with the “look and feel” of the channel. When a user device displays more than one channel at the same time, the alert mediator chooses which channel's rules to apply in displaying the alert.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that personalizes preferences for a thin client using custom menus is disclosed. The method may include receiving registering capabilities from the thin client, storing feature list for all devices, generation of a custom alert settings menu based on the thin client's capabilities, storing selected alert settings, and generating a list of all registered devices that have similar alert capabilities as the thin client. The custom menu can be viewed by a user on any device that has display capabilities. The user can select from among the alert settings supported by the thin client or select the alert settings for the thin client that is similar to a registered device. Apparatus is also provided for mapping alert capabilities from the feature list and the received alert preferences from a user. Thin client mapping of mapping of alert type is also provided for processing an alert request from an external device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating distribution of content are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a method of facilitating demand-driven population and management of online content within a video-on-demand (VOD) service includes receiving trend information and a link reference at one or more input ports, the reference being at least indirectly indicative of a location at which the content is available, and obtaining and normalizing, by way of one or more processing devices, metadata pertaining to the content. The method further includes determining business rule information pertaining to the content based at least indirectly upon the trend information, content provider policy information, and the normalized metadata, via the processing device(s), and outputting via one or more output ports the business rule information for receipt by the VOD service, whereby availability and prioritization of the content at the VOD service is based at least in part upon the output business rule information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for operating a wireless communication device. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of battery powered modules that are carried by a user and together operate as the wireless communication module (ensemble), detecting a battery reserve power level of a first module of the plurality of modules and transferring a processing function from the first module to a second module of the plurality of modules based upon the detected battery reserve power.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (104) for providing guidance about surrounding conditions and a communication server (1000) for receiving data feeds from cooperative wireless devices are provided. The wireless communication device (104) comprises a device discovery mechanism (214, 302) to identify second devices (116-150) in a vicinity (106-114) of the device, a processor (306) to determine a coverage capability for each area surrounding the first device (104), and a display (208, 310) to represent the coverage capability of each area surrounding the first device. The communication server (1000) comprises a network interface (1002) to receive one or more data feeds associated with a location of a first device (104), a processor (1004) to associate each data feed with an area adjacent to the first device, and a display (1008) to represent surrounding cells surrounding the first device.

Abstract: A method for facilitating a bookmark server to create a bookmark from content associated with a content source is disclosed. The method comprises a remote device selecting a portion of the content associated with the content source, based on an input received via a user interface. The remote device then generates metadata associated with the selected portion of the content. The metadata includes information pertaining to the content source and the content. The remote device communicates with the bookmark server, which can access the content associated with the content source. The remote device sends the metadata to the bookmark server along with a request message to the bookmark server to create the bookmark based on the metadata.

Abstract: A self-contained installation program having at least one payload condition is provided (314) and distributed (316) to a plurality of selected nodes, using a wireless link, that subsequently installs the self-contained program based, at least in part, on a correspondence with the at least one payload condition. Examples of such payload conditions include, but are not limited to, an ability to sense at least one physical property, a deployment role or physical address of the receiving node, a physical location of the receiving node, available node resources, group membership, and so forth.

Abstract: Disclosed is a “light weight” protocol used to coordinate shared copies of a data element. A central repository holds a master copy of the data element. Applications “subscribe” to the data element (or to an aspect of it) by sending a message to the central repository. Whenever the data element (or aspect) is changed, applications that have subscribed to the data element (or aspect) are notified of the change. When an application wishes to change the value of a subscribed aspect, it sends an update request to the central repository. The central repository changes the master copy of the data aspect to the requested value and then informs all subscribed applications of the new data value. If two applications both wish to change the value of the same data aspect, they send their update requests, and the central repository processes them in the order in which they are received.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sharing product information amongst users of a computer network using productmarks. A productmark for a product is created by a user of the network and includes a product identifier, an annotation containing user comments, a username that identifies the creator of the productmark, and a categorization tag that identifies the user's level of interest in purchasing the product. Productmarks are stored in a database that may be queried using a product identifier, a username, a categorization tag or any combination of these to retrieve productmarks. A user network device provides access to the database and includes modules for creating and uploading productmarks to the database a module for querying and downloading productmarks from the database. A peer-to-peer communication session may be formed relating to a particular product and/or geographical location.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for operating a wireless communication device. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of battery powered modules that are carried by a user and together operate as the wireless communication module (ensemble), detecting a battery reserve power level of a first module of the plurality of modules and transferring a processing function from the first module to a second module of the plurality of modules based upon the detected battery reserve power.

Abstract: Energy-efficient discovery techniques are provided for a client node to discover at least one peer provider node in an ad hoc network. For example, the client node can be configured to turn on its first ad hoc interface while in a discovery mode to establish a channel for a first time period. The client node can then transmit a first beacon to advertise its presence to other nodes within the transmission range of the client node to acquire service information from at least one of a plurality of prospective peer provider nodes within the transmission range of the client node. At least one of the prospective peer provider nodes is configured to turn on its second ad hoc interface for a second period of time to listen for beacons from other nodes. The second period of time is less than or equal to the first period of time.