Abstract: A method for validating an electronic transaction, including a step 100) of starting an electronic transaction transmitting wirelessly identifying information from an electronic payment instrument module of a mobile phone to a POS terminal, that forwards said identifying information together with transaction data to a retailer network and to a server. The method also includes the steps: 110) activating said mobile phone for starting a voice telephone call with the server; 120) the server replies said voice telephone call and requests the customer to validate the electronic transaction by means of a validating PIN code; or initiating a voice telephone call from the server to the mobile phone, wherein the server requests the customer to validate the electronic transaction by means of a validating PIN code; 130) the customer validates the electronic transaction communicating the validating PIN code to the server during said voice telephone call.

Abstract: A method is described for selecting and displaying, on or through a television signal receiver apparatus capable of connecting to Internet and of pointing to URL's, television programs transmitted through an Internet network, said method comprises the step of associating at least one URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, corresponding to streaming audio/video of a specific television program, with the same television program of an EPG, or Electronic Program Guide, received by said apparatus via television broadcast, and wherein said association requires that said URL be stored into a memory-type processing circuit of the apparatus to create a link between said specific television program received through said Internet network and the same specific television program of said EPG received by said television receiver apparatus via television broadcast.

Abstract: A method for providing a main content and an extra content to a user by accessing said extra content through a reference item. The method includes receiving said main content from a first source and displaying said main content by said first device. Also, based on said reference item, said extra content is retrieved and/or received from a second source and simultaneously displayed together with said main content on said first device. Or said reference item may be forwarded to a second device, and thereby said extra content is retrieved and/or received from a second source by said second device and, simultaneously, the main content is displayed on said first device and the extra content is displayed on said second device.

Abstract: An information distribution system, of the type including distribution means adapted to distribute said information in a first predefined language, said distribution means including at least one distribution device coupled to at least one control unit. The invention is characterized in that said system includes connection means for establishing a telephone connection with a mobile telephone through a telephone network, said connection means being associated with said distribution means for distributing said information through said at least one device in a second language corresponding to the language of the country where a SIM card has been associated with said mobile telephone that has established said telephone connection.

Abstract: A television set including: interfaces for receiving peripheral sources; a screen for displaying at least one of said sources; a graphic-indications generator for showing on said screen indications relating to said interfaces; a control unit; control means for issuing commands to said television set; a video memory for storing video images obtained by processing said peripheral sources; and a processing means for reducing the dimensions of said peripheral sources to generate said video images and associating said video images to respective graphic indications relating to said interfaces. The association result is displayed on the screen, as a general video image, to allow user to identify the interface associated with the corresponding video image. A pointing element is used to select one of said video images. In response to a command issued by said control means, the contents of said selected video image are shown on said screen in full-screen form.

Abstract: A hand-held communication device including a display. A plurality of communication incidents of the communication device is logged. A recent-communication-incident log is determined, which includes information regarding the most recent communication incidents. A most-frequent-communication-incident log is determined, which includes information regarding the sender or receiver of the most-frequent communication incidents. A combined-communication log is generated, which includes a portion of items relating to the recent-communication-incident log and a portion of items relating to the most-frequent-communication-incident log. A first or second number of items of the combined-communication log corresponds to the first N items of the recent-communication-incident log, and a second or first number of items of the combined-communication log corresponds to the first M items of the most-frequent-communication-incident log.

Abstract: A method is described for selecting and displaying, on or through a television signal receiver apparatus (1) capable of connecting to Internet (10) and of pointing to URL's (21), television programs (19) transmitted through an Internet network (10), said method comprises the step of associating at least one URL (21), or Uniform Resource Locator, corresponding to streaming audio/video of a specific television program (19), with the same television program (19) of an EPG (17), or Electronic Program Guide, received by said apparatus (1) via television broadcast, and wherein said association requires that said URL (21) be stored into a memory-type processing circuit (8) of the apparatus (1) to create a link between said specific television program (19) received through said Internet network (10) and the same specific television program (19) of said EPG (17) received by said television receiver apparatus (1) via television broadcast.

Abstract: A method of implementing a communication log for a hand held communication device is provided. The hand held communication device comprises a transceiver for wireless communication, a central processing unit and a display. A plurality of communication incidents of the communication device is logged. A recent communication incident log is determined. The recent communication incident log comprises information regarding the most recent communication incidents of the communication device (CI). A most frequent communication incident log is determined, wherein the most frequent communication incident log comprises information regarding the sender or receiver of the most frequent communication incidents (MF). A combined communication log is generated (CCI). The combined communication log comprises a portion of items relating to the recent communication incident log and a portion of items relating to the most frequent communication incident log.

Abstract: A television set including: interfaces for receiving peripheral sources; a screen for displaying at least one of said sources; a graphic-indications generator for showing on said screen indications relating to said interfaces; a control unit; control means for issuing commands to said television set; a video memory for storing video images obtained by processing said peripheral sources; and a processing means for reducing the dimensions of said peripheral sources to generate said video images and associating said video images to respective graphic indications relating to said interfaces. The association result is displayed on the screen, as a general video image, to allow user to identify the interface associated with the corresponding video image. A pointing element is used to select one of said video images. In response to a command issued by said control means, the contents of said selected video image are shown on said screen in full-screen form.

Abstract: A method for validating an electronic transaction, including a step 100) of starting an electronic transaction transmitting wirelessly identifying information from an electronic payment instrument module of a mobile phone to a POS terminal, that forwards said identifying information together with transaction data to a retailer network and to a server. The method also includes the steps: 110) activating said mobile phone for starting a voice telephone call with the server; 120) the server replies said voice telephone call and requests the customer to validate the electronic transaction by means of a validating PIN code; or initiating a voice telephone call from the server to the mobile phone, wherein the server requests the customer to validate the electronic transaction by means of a validating PIN code; 130) the customer validates the electronic transaction communicating the validating PIN code to the server during said voice telephone call.

Abstract: A method for providing a main content and an extra content to a user by accessing said extra content through a reference item. The method includes receiving said main content from a first source and displaying said main content by said first device. Also, based on said reference item, said extra content is retrieved and/or received from a second source and simultaneously displayed together with said main content on said first device. Or said reference item may be forwarded to a second device, and thereby said extra content is retrieved and/or received from a second source by said second device and, simultaneously, the main content is displayed on said first device and the extra content is displayed on said second device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for image data recording and reproducing. The apparatus includes: an imaging system for capturing an image; a signal processor coupled to the imaging system for processing the captured image as a digital image file; an audio system coupled to the signal processor for acquiring at least one speech annotation apt to be associated with the digital image file; and a speech recognition unit for recognizing the at least one speech annotation and converting the speech annotation into text data, the speech recognition unit being associated to the signal processor for generating metadata using the text data and adding the generated metadata to the digital image file. The speech recognition unit includes a plurality of subsets of words, each subset having a limited number of words, in order to recognize and convert into text speech annotations acquired from a corresponding plurality of languages.