An intelligent electronic appliance preferably includes a user interface, data input and/or output port, and an intelligent processor. A preferred embodiment comprises a set top box for interacting with broadband media streams, with an adaptive user interface, content-based media processing and/or media metadata processing, and telecommunications integration. An adaptive user interface models the user, by observation, feedback, and/or explicit input, and presents a user interface and/or executes functions based on the user model. A content-based media processing system analyzes media content, for example audio and video, to understand the content, for example to generate content-descriptive metadata. A media metadata processing system operates on locally or remotely generated metadata to process the media in accordance with the metadata, which may be, for example, an electronic program guide, MPEG 7 data, and/or automatically generated format. A set top box preferably includes digital trick play effects, and incorporated digital rights management features.

Intelligent electronic appliance system and method

An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context. The apparatus receives an input from the user and other data. A predicted input is presented for confirmation by the user, and the predictive mechanism is updated based on this feedback. Also provided is a pattern recognition system for a multimedia device, wherein a user input is matched to a video stream on a conceptual basis, allowing inexact programming of a multimedia device. The system analyzes a data stream for correspondence with a data pattern for processing and storage. The data stream is subjected to adaptive pattern recognition to extract features of interest to provide a highly compressed representation that may be efficiently processed to determine correspondence. Applications of the interface and system include a video cassette recorder (VCR), medical device, vehicle control system, audio device, environmental control system, securities trading terminal, and smart house. The system optionally includes an actuator for effecting the environment of operation, allowing closed-loop feedback operation and automated learning.

Adaptive pattern recognition based control system and method

An intelligent gateway device provided at a premise (home or business) for providing and managing application services associated with use and support of a plurality of digital endpoint devices associated with the premises. The device includes a communications and processing infrastructure integrated with a peer and presence messaging based communications protocol for enabling communications between the device and an external support network and between the device and connected digital endpoint devices. A services framework at the gateway device implements the communications and processing infrastructure for enabling service management, service configuration, and authentication of user of services at the intelligent gateway. The framework provides a storage and execution environment for supporting and executing received service logic modules relating to use, management, and support of the digital endpoint devices. Thus, the gateway device provides a network-based services point of presence for a plurality of digital endpoint devices at the premises.

Multi-services application gateway and system employing the same

A hand-held electronic device having a remote control application user interface that functions to displays operational mode information to a user. The graphical user interface may be used, for example, to setup the remote control application to control appliances for one or more users in one or more rooms, to perform activities, and to access favorites. The remote control application is also adapted to be upgradeable. Furthermore, the remote control application provides for the sharing of operational mode information.

User interface for a remote control application

Dynamically adapting the layout of a document to a particular output device. The layout of a document can be adapted to a particular output device so that the document fully utilizes the capabilities of the output device. A layout generator interrogates the output device to determine the capabilities of the output device. Based upon the capabilities of the output device, the layout generator selects a style sheet to accommodate the particular output device. The style sheet assigns values to format properties such as font properties, color and background properties, and text properties. The layout of the document is adapted to the particular output device by rendering the document on the output device using the values defined in the style sheet.

Method and system for dynamically adapting the layout of a document to an output device

A method and system is provided for detecting, commanding and controlling diverse home devices currently connected to a home network. An interface is provided for accessing the home devices that are currently connected to a home network. According to the method, a device link file is generated, wherein the device link file identifies home devices that are currently connected to the home network. A device link page is created, wherein the device link page contains a device button that is associated with each home device that is identified in the device link file. A hyper-text link is associated with each device button, wherein the hyper-text link provides a link to an HTML page that is contained on the home device that is associated with the device button, and the device link page is displayed on a browser based home device.

Method and apparatus for a home network auto-tree builder

Réseau de contrôle et commande basé sur navigateur

Procede et appareil pour la communication dans un réseau domestique

La presente invention concerne un procede et un systeme permettant de commander et de gerer divers dispositifs domestiques appartenant a un reseau domestique afin d'assurer un service. Selon le procede, un dispositif client, qui est capable d'afficher une interface utilisateur, est connecte a un reseau domestique. Un agent logiciel s'execute sur le dispositif client de facon a provoquer l'affichage d'une interface utilisateur sur le dispositif client. Un premier et un second dispositif domestique, connecte au reseau domestique, sont selectionnes dans l'interface utilisateur. Ensuite, des donnees de gestion et de commande sont envoyees du dispositif client a destination du premier et du second dispositif domestique pour amener ces dispositifs a communiquer l'un avec l'autre de facon a assurer le service.

G. Kevin Harms

Papers

Method and apparatus for a home network auto-tree builder

Réseau de contrôle et commande basé sur navigateur

Procede et appareil pour la communication dans un réseau domestique

Perfectionnement de la gestion et de la commande a base de navigateur d'un reseau domestique