International Business Machines Corporation

Rovi Technologies Corporation

Bruce P Semple

Edith H Stern

Barry Edward Willner

Neil A Katz

James M Dunn

James Stuart Dunn

Frank L Stein

A method for providing configurable access to media in a media-on-demand system also can include delivering the media to a first client device in a format compatible with the first client device; interrupting the delivery of the media; recording a bookmark specifying a position in the media where the interruption occurred; and resuming delivery of the media to a second client device, the resumed delivery beginning at a position in the media specified by the recorded bookmark. The method further can include identifying device properties for each of the first and second client devices; delivering the media to the first client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the first client device; and, delivering the media to the second client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the second client device.

User controlled multi-device media-on-demand system

A hypermedia document display method can include presenting hypermedia content, the hypermedia content containing hyperlinks to additional hypermedia content; storing selected ones of the hyperlinks in a delayed viewing list; and, caching hypermedia content associated with the stored hyperlinks during the presenting step. The method can further include reconfiguring the stored hyperlinks to point to the cached hypermedia content. The presenting step can include displaying Web content in a Web browser. In that case, the Web content can contain hyperlinks to additional Web content. The presenting step also can include playing back multimedia content in a multimedia content player. Finally, the presenting step can include displaying audiovisual television content combined with hypermedia content in a television set.

User specified parallel data fetching for optimized web access

Methods and systems are provided that coordinate the operation of multiple search engines through portions of a multimedia object based on the anticipated accuracy of each search engine. One feature of the present invention provides a content management system that efficiently archives and retrieves multimedia content, for example, based on a confidence level or index. As multimedia content is generated, it is analyzed and cataloged into a set of indexes based on the analysis and confidence level of the analysis. The multimedia content is then stored into one or more databases. When one or more items are requested by a query, the query is analyzed and broken down into components or subqueries. These components or subqueries can then be routed to one or more appropriate search engine as a function of the confidence index. The results from the search engines are then gathered and compiled for presentation to a user.

Method and system for querying multimedia data where adjusting the conversion of the current portion of the multimedia data signal based on the comparing at least one set of confidence values to the threshold

An improved wireless telecommunication system enables a user to obtain communication services in overlapping wireless heterogeneous or homogeneous cellular networks at the most economical cost and bandwidth. A plurality of overlapping cellular networks includes a common command channel, a Central Selection Agency (CSA), a home location register, a visitor location register, and a user device positional location mechanism. In one embodiment the user device is equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine its location. In placing a call, the user device broadcasts its ID, location and connection capability requirements on the common command channel. When a base station for the command channel bears the request, the CSA and the home location register for the user are informed. The CSA capability/requirements determine which network and base station selections are potential carriers for the call. Based on user preferences established by a profile stored in an accessible database, the CSA assigns a network and base station to handle the connection. The user device is informed and tunes to the appropriate network and protocols. For incoming calls, the calling party checks the home location register to determine the last known location. The user device is informed that a called is waiting. The user device selects the network and base station to receive the call in a fashion similar to that of placing the call. A call may be transferred from one network to a different network, the networks using different protocol. The user device may be programmed to change networks at random times to provide enhanced security for a call.

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Potomac, MD, United States of America

Bruce P Semple