Abstract: There has been provided a method of modifying a content stream provided to a user electronic device, the method comprising receiving device data from the user electronic device, processing the device data to determine whether one or more network conditions have been met, and modifying the content stream and/or one or more settings associated with either the content stream and or a game server. There has also provided a method of rendering a content stream provided by a sender, the method comprising, sending device data, receiving a modified content stream, and rendering the modified content stream.

Abstract: A method of sending a content stream to a user electronic device includes obtaining content stream data in relation to the content stream to be rendered, encoding a first portion of the content stream data, rendering a second portion of the content stream data, and sending the encoded first portion and the rendered second portion to the user electronic device. Also, a method of rendering a content stream on a user electronic device comprises receiving an encoded first portion of content stream data and a rendered second portion of the content stream data, decoding the first portion to obtain the content stream data in relation to a first portion of the content stream to be rendered, rendering the decoded first portion of the content stream data, and combining the rendered first portion of the content stream and the rendered second portion of the content stream to generate the content stream.

Abstract: The invention provides a computer-implemented method of detecting errors in audio outputs occurring during gameplay, the method comprising: providing an audio output distribution, the audio output distribution comprising a distribution of confirmed audio outputs that are clustered according to features of the confirmed audio outputs, wherein each of the confirmed audio outputs is a combination of audio components that occur during gameplay; receiving a sample audio output that occurs during gameplay; comparing the sample audio output to the audio output distribution; and detecting an error in the sample audio output when the sample audio output is inconsistent with the audio output distribution.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating haptic feedback to accompany an audio signal, the method comprising: detecting a predetermined audio signal in one or more monitored audio channels (11); and in response to detecting the predetermined audio signal, triggering a haptic feedback signal in a haptic feedback channel (42), wherein the haptic feedback channel is synchronized with the one or more monitored audio channels.

Abstract: A method for adjusting the audio output of a video gaming system during gameplay, the method comprising: measuring the usage of a processing unit of the video gaming system during gameplay, wherein the video gaming system is configured to output an audio stream comprising a plurality of audio components, the processing unit configured to process an audio data file to output each audio component; adjusting an output quality of one or more audio components of the audio stream in response to the measured usage of the processing unit. The method allows for dynamic adjustment of the audio output quality based on the capacity of the processing unit.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage mediums are described for bridging brokers of messages from Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In an example system, a first message broker receives a message and an associated topic from an IoT device. A bridging coordinator accesses a topic-to-broker map that indicates, for a second broker, a list of topic filters for which the second message broker has at least one subscriber. The bridging coordinator determines whether the list of topics includes the associated topic. In response to a determination that the list of topic filters in the topic-to-broker map includes the associated topic, the bridging coordinator forward the message to the second message broker. In response to a determination that the list of topic filters does not include the associated topic, the bridging coordinator prevents forwarding of the message to the second message broker.

Abstract: A system and method for detection of synthesized videos of humans. The method including: determining blood flow signals using a first machine learning model trained with a hemoglobin concentration (HC) changes training set, the first machine learning model taking as input bit values from a set of bitplanes in a captured image sequence, the HC changes training set including bit values from each bitplane of images captured from a set of subjects for which HC changes are known; determining whether blood flow patterns from the video are indicative of a synthesized video using a second machine learning model, the second machine learning model taking as input the blood flow signals, the second machine learning model trained using a blood flow training set including blood flow data signals from at least one of a plurality of videos of other human subjects for which it is known whether each video is synthesized.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage mediums are described for bridging brokers of messages from Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In an example system, a first message broker receives a message and an associated topic from an IoT device. A bridging coordinator accesses a topic-to-broker map that indicates, for a second broker, a list of topic filters for which the second message broker has at least one subscriber. The bridging coordinator determines whether the list of topics includes the associated topic. In response to a determination that the list of topic filters in the topic-to-broker map includes the associated topic, the bridging coordinator forward the message to the second message broker. In response to a determination that the list of topic filters does not include the associated topic, the bridging coordinator prevents forwarding of the message to the second message broker.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage mediums are described for handing retained messages among brokers of Internet of Things (IoT) messages. In an example system, a retained message coordinator of a first message broker receives an indication of a subscription specifying a topic filter from an IoT device. The retained message coordinator identifies, from a data structure shared by a second message broker, a retained message set for a topic within a scope of the topic filter. The retained message coordinator retrieves the retained message set from a shared data store, and provides the retained message set to the IoT device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage mediums are described for bridging brokers of messages from Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In an example system, a first message broker receives a message and an associated topic from an IoT device. A bridging coordinator accesses a topic-to-broker map that indicates, for a second broker, a list of topic filters for which the second message broker has at least one subscriber. The bridging coordinator determines whether the list of topics includes the associated topic. In response to a determination that the list of topic filters in the topic-to-broker map includes the associated topic, the bridging coordinator forward the message to the second message broker. In response to a determination that the list of topic filters does not include the associated topic, the bridging coordinator prevents forwarding of the message to the second message broker.

Abstract: A system and method for detection of synthesized videos of humans. The method including: determining blood flow signals using a first machine learning model trained with a hemoglobin concentration (HC) changes training set, the first machine learning model taking as input bit values from a set of bitplanes in a captured image sequence, the HC changes training set including bit values from each bitplane of images captured from a set of subjects for which HC changes are known; determining whether blood flow patterns from the video are indicative of a synthesized video using a second machine learning model, the second machine learning model taking as input the blood flow signals, the second machine learning model trained using a blood flow training set including blood flow data signals from at least one of a plurality of videos of other human subjects for which it is known whether each video is synthesized.

Abstract: A system and method for detection of synthesized videos of humans. The method including: determining blood flow signals using a first machine learning model trained with a hemoglobin concentration (HC) changes training set, the first machine learning model taking as input bit values from a set of bitplanes in a captured image sequence, the HC changes training set including bit values from each bitplane of images captured from a set of subjects for which HC changes are known; determining whether blood flow patterns from the video are indicative of a synthesized video using a second machine learning model, the second machine learning model taking as input the blood flow signals, the second machine learning model trained using a blood flow training set including blood flow data signals from at least one of a plurality of videos of other human subjects for which it is known whether each video is synthesized.

Abstract: A system and method for detection of synthesized videos of humans. The method including: determining blood flow signals using a first machine learning model trained with a hemoglobin concentration (HC) changes training set, the first machine learning model taking as input bit values from a set of bitplanes in a captured image sequence, the HC changes training set including bit values from each bitplane of images captured from a set of subjects for which HC changes are known; determining whether blood flow patterns from the video are indicative of a synthesized video using a second machine learning model, the second machine learning model taking as input the blood flow signals, the second machine learning model trained using a blood flow training set including blood flow data signals from at least one of a plurality of videos of other human subjects for which it is known whether each video is synthesized.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an edge computing device. The method includes, receiving a user input requesting access to a resource of the edge computing device, determining whether the user has privileges to access the resource by: formulating a claims request which requests claims based on the determined identity of the user, sending the claims request to a local claims provider agent executed by a processor of the edge computing device, determining, based on claim request handling factors, whether the local claims provider agent can generate a token including the requested claims, and if so, generating the token with the requested claims; if not, a request may be sent to a cloud service-side claims provider to receive the token. The method includes authorizing access to the resource based on a predetermined policy that specifies the presence of a predefined resource parameter in the requested claims is sufficient.

Abstract: A method of mapping a virtual environment comprises obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a sampling distribution of points over the area of a respective video image and their associated depth values; wherein respective mapping points are obtained by projecting co-ordinated derived from the sample points from the video image and associated depth values back into a 3D game world co-ordinate system of the videogame title; thereby obtaining a point cloud dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods and systems for providing a uniform data platform for at least one application of a plurality of applications are disclosed. Exemplary methods include receiving application data from at least one of a device and a server, a device executing a portion of an application of a plurality of applications, storing the application data in a data platform, the data model including at least one metadata and at least one event, the one metadata corresponding to at least one object indicated in the data model, and the one event corresponding to a trigger condition associated with the one metadata entry, wherein values of the one metadata and one event are associated with a user profile and accessing via a plurality of remote networked services, the application data stored in the data platform, the plurality of remote network services accessing the application data using the data model.

Abstract: A method of mapping a virtual environment comprises obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a sampling distribution of points over the area of a respective video image and their associated depth values; wherein respective mapping points are obtained by projecting co-ordinated derived from the sample points from the video image and associated depth values back into a 3D game world co-ordinate system of the videogame title; thereby obtaining a point cloud dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

Abstract: A user analysis method of assisting a current user within the videogame, includes: obtaining an indication that a hint is required for a scenario within the videogame; and if so, providing a hint to the current user relating to successful behaviour in the scenario; where providing a hint comprises: obtaining one or more indicators of behaviour for the scenario within the videogame, a difference detecting step comprising detecting a respective difference between the one or more obtained indicators of behaviour and corresponding data derived from a corpus of measured indicators of behaviour previously generated from a subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success in the scenario, and the providing step comprising providing a hint to the current user indicating a change in one or more behaviours that reduces a respective difference in the one or more measured indicators of behaviour between the current user and the subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success

Abstract: An apparatus comprising: a processing unit configured to execute a plurality of threads; a profiling unit configured to: profile the operation of the processing unit over a time period to generate an activity profile indicating when each of the plurality of threads is executed by the processing unit over the time period; analyse the generated activity profile to determine whether a signature of the processing unit's thread execution for the time period matches a signature indicating a baseline of thread execution for the processing unit; output an alert signal if the signature of the processing unit's thread execution for the time period does not match the signature indicating a baseline of thread execution for the processing unit.

Abstract: A user analysis method for assisting a current user within the videogame includes: measuring one or more indicators of success for a scenario within the videogame as played by the current user, detecting if the one or more measured indicators of success are below an evaluation threshold, and if so then providing a hint to the current user relating to successful behaviour in the scenario, wherein providing a hint has a measuring step including measuring one or more indicators of behaviour for the scenario within the videogame as played by the current user, an evaluating step including evaluating the one or more measured indicators of behaviour with respect to data derived from a corpus of measured indicators of behaviour previously generated for other users for the scenario, a difference detecting step including detecting a respective difference in the one or more measured indicators of behaviour between the current user and a subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success in the scena