Abstract: Apparatus and methods to implement a technique for using voice input to control a network-enabled device. In one implementation, this feature allows the user to conveniently register and manage an IPTV device using voice input rather than employing a bulky remote control or a separate registration website.

Abstract: One or more users wear respective wireless headsets or visors that allow the users to see a 3D rendered virtual reality environment emulating the physical space in which the user(s) are located and move. A user is allowed to move freely throughout the physical space while playing. The virtual reality environment that is rendered for ae user is based on the user's physical movements. The virtual reality environment rendered for a user shows virtual objects where the corresponding physical objects are located so that as the user moves around the objects in the virtual environment the user also moves around the physical objects in the physical space. The floor of the physical space may be made of movable segments that move according to game play instructions.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for extracting media content from social networking services and presenting the extracted content to an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) user in a personalized and easy-to-consume manner. One or more feeds from social networking services that contain data pertaining to the user's social graph are monitored by a service in the IPTV domain for media content that meets preset criteria and preferences of the user. A social networking dashboard application is hosted in the IPTV environment and includes a user interface arranged with tools to enable the user to set preferences and specify tags that control various aspects of the media content extraction. The service can also monitor the social networking feeds in a real-time manner that enables creation of a knowledge base that is usable to present media content “trends” to the IPTV user.

Abstract: A fluid display device has a plurality of liquid outlet nozzles configured to emit liquid droplets. The nozzles are arranged in a horizontal row, a plurality of light emitters aligned with a vertical travel path of the liquid droplets and coplanar with a vertical plane of the falling liquid droplets. The light emitters are configured to illuminate the droplets. A controller synchronizes illumination of the liquid droplets with pixels in an image. A pattern of illumination of the droplets creates a visible image in the vertical plane of the falling liquid droplets.

Abstract: A block chain system allows mining for new valid values in a system such as a computer game or computer-based trading card system. Instead of each new value being added to the block chain being equivalent, each new value is one of a plurality of possible choices.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving user authentication information from a secondary device and sending a list of IPTV devices associated with the user authentication information to the secondary device. IPTV device selection is received from the secondary device and device identification information corresponding to a selected IPTV device is sent to the secondary device. A content selection from an asset list is received at a server and post execution instructions for the selected IPTV device are generated. Next asset information is sent to the selected IPTV device. The asset information includes content associated with the content selection and the post execution instructions. The post execution instructions determine further IPTV device functionality.

Abstract: A block chain system allows mining for new valid values in a system such as a computer game or computer-based trading card system. Instead of each new value being added to the block chain being equivalent, each new value is one of a plurality of possible choices.

Abstract: Systems and methods described provide ways to order channels surfed such that channels of likely greater interest to the user are presented to the user first, and channels of lesser interest are presented after. For examples, channels showing popular programs may be placed higher in a channel surfing lineup. The systems and methods may also take account of channels that are showing commercials during a time of channel surfing, and may skip over the same while surfing and/or may come back to the channel, or re-place or otherwise include the channel in the surfing lineup, at such time as the commercial has ended and regular programming has continued.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for extracting media content from social networking services and presenting the extracted content to an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) user in a personalized and easy-to-consume manner. One or more feeds from social networking services that contain data pertaining to the user's social graph are monitored by a service in the IPTV domain for media content that meets preset criteria and preferences of the user. A social networking dashboard application is hosted in the IPTV environment and includes a user interface arranged with tools to enable the user to set preferences and specify tags that control various aspects of the media content extraction. The service can also monitor the social networking feeds in a real-time manner that enables creation of a knowledge base that is usable to present media content “trends” to the IPTV user.

Abstract: Personalized HRTFs for each of plural computer game participants are convolved with functions representing the acoustics of a physical room in which each participant is located or representing the acoustics of a virtual space in the game environment. Head-tracking of each participant may be employed as the game is played and the HRTFs established accordingly. As the game progresses, the location of each player's character within the virtual game space with respect to the other players is tracked and audio adjusted accordingly. If desired, audio can be down-mixed from, e.g., 5.1 audio and then up-rendered for each player by the game console or by the players' local game interface, e.g., a computer game head-worn visor assembly.

Abstract: In one aspect, each pixel of a holographic display screen emits light in a narrow angle, and micro-mirrors control the angle in which the light is emitted. The light that is emitted is modulated so that the image for the left eye is emitted when the pixel is pointed by means of its micro mirror at a viewer's left eye and light for the image for the right eye is emitted when the pixel is pointed at the viewer's right eye.

Abstract: Dynamically assigning shortcuts to one or more functions, including: determining the one or more functions to assign shortcuts; dynamically assigning the one or more functions to at least one of buttons, keys, clicks, and touches on a client device as shortcuts; updating a mapping of the shortcuts to the one or more functions; and displaying the assigned shortcuts on a display of the client device. Keywords include shortcuts and menu items.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for extracting media content from social networking services and presenting the extracted content to an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) user in a personalized and easy-to-consume manner. One or more feeds from social networking services that contain data pertaining to the user's social graph are monitored by a service in the IPTV domain for media content that meets preset criteria and preferences of the user. A social networking dashboard application is hosted in the IPTV environment and includes a user interface arranged with tools to enable the user to set preferences and specify tags that control various aspects of the media content extraction. The service can also monitor the social networking feeds in a real-time manner that enables creation of a knowledge base that is usable to present media content “trends” to the IPTV user.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to implement a technique for using voice input to control a network-enabled device. In one implementation, this feature allows the user to conveniently register and manage an IPTV device using voice input rather than employing a bulky remote control or a separate registration website.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided to implement a technique for using a second display with a content playback device. In one implementation, this feature provides users a frequently-accessed service or asset list when browsing on a second display. Such systems and methods may be particularly advantageous when a user normally only visits a few services in an entire list of available services on a regular basis. The frequently-accessed list of services or assets may be populated by the user through the second display or may be populated by the server that is tracking service access by the user. The frequently-accessed service or asset list (or both) may be specific to the user account, a user profile within the user account, the second display, or the content playback device. In some implementations, the second display may be a smart phone that can often be found beside the user, a laptop or tablet PC, or the like.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating and employing software to handle the playback of media, especially video, in browsers that, in addition to or instead of playing the media in the browser, may use second display protocols to instruct a separate display device to play the media. The software can of any type that can transmit the content or specify a network location of the content item for subsequent playback to a content playback device. In one implementation, the software may be in the form of a web browser or other application that is configured to use for the playback of selected media types. The browser maintains a list of favorite and/or recently viewed services and content items and is configured to filter the list to include only those content items, or services with such content items, available for play back on the separate content playback device.

Abstract: Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a method for configuring wireless power and data transfer between consumer electronic (CE) devices. The method comprises identifying a plurality of antenna systems including at least a first antenna system and a second antenna system. At least the first antenna system is cooperated with a first CE device and the second antenna system is cooperated with a separate second CE device. Each of the plurality of antenna systems comprises a power transfer antenna and one or more communications antennas. The system provides a graphical user interface to illustrate each of the identified antenna systems, and receives user instructions corresponding to at least two of the identified antenna systems, to generate configuration instructions in accordance with the user instructions, and to configure selected CE devices in accordance with the configuration instructions.

Abstract: Various aspects of a system and a method for integrated user interface for electronic devices are disclosed. The system may include a first electronic device. The first electronic device receives metadata from a second electronic device. The first electronic device generates an integrated user interface (UI) corresponding to the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on received metadata. The received metadata comprises a current set of available operations for controlling the first and/or second electronic device. The first electronic device renders the generated integrated UI on a display of the first electronic device.

Abstract: A system in which people with different skills collaboratively work together build creative content each by contributing the type of work that he or she is best at. Four modules of the system include the specialization of contributions, in which creators make types of contributions depending on their strengths and interests, content curation and distribution for evaluating content and controlling the bundling and distribution of content, workflow/tracking that keeps an immutable history of work and allows branching, and compensation for contributors that tracks the contributions made by each creator and determines compensation based on the amount and/or perceived quality or worth of work each creator puts into the creation of content.

Abstract: A block chain system allows mining for new valid values in a system such as a computer game or computer-based trading card system. Instead of each new value being added to the block chain being equivalent, each new value is one of a plurality of possible choices.