Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Steffen Hauptmann

Markus Baumeister

Karin Klabunde

Josef Wasel

Heribert Baldus

Thomas Maria Falck

Joachim Kahlert

Andras Montvay

Martin Elixmann

Ralf Gunther

A network has network nodes and a software system distributed over the network nodes within which, on first access to an access-protected object of the system, an authentication of the user is provided. The authentication is valid at least for a further access to an access-protected object. The duration of the validity of the authentication is dependent on the duration of access to the access-protected object and/or on the context of the use of the system.

Just-in-time authentication of users of a digital home network

The invention relates to a network having network nodes (to) and a software system distributed among all the network nodes (to), said software system having at each network node (to) a software component referred to as a distribution utility (to) for the access to the data of a distributed data base (), and for the communication with other distribution utilities (to) of different network nodes. A software component referred to as a data manager (to) serves as a link from the data base () to other components and includes a callback component (to) for the access to at least one element () of a data object (). With the aid of a key consisting of two parts, of which a first part is a distribution utility key () for the identification of a data object () by the distribution utility (to), and of which a second part is a data manager key () for the identification of at least one required element () of a data object (), it is possible to access both the data object () and individual elements () of the data object ().

System for the efficient transmission of partial objects in distributed data bases

Theft protection of electronic apparatuses connected to a bus system is implemented in a manner particularly suitable for use in a digital home network based on the IEEE 1394 standard. At least one of the apparatuses in the network is equipped with a monitoring unit switchable between an activated and a de-activated state. In the activated state, the monitoring unit monitors the occurrence of a bus reset which is generated particularly upon removal of an apparatus from the network. After occurrence of such a reset, the monitoring unit compares the list of all apparatuses on the bus with a list generated and stored before the reset. When determining differences, an alarm is triggered which can be reproduced particularly by means of the apparatuses which are present, such as, for example, televisions and hi-fi equipment.

Method and device for theft protection of electronic apparatus connected to a bus system

Disclosed is a network for use in a home application. In particular the network includes network nodes and a software system distributed to all the network nodes. The software system is distributed over the plurality of network nodes, and includes a virtual storage device to manage respective real storage devices of respective network nodes, wherein the virtual storage device enables storage and/or retrieval of data in the real storage devices irrespective of the type of network node.

Virtual memory device for a digital home network

A communication system and, method are therefor, are provided. The system includes a control circuit which includes a message-based operating system and application software. The system also includes a device and/or software for exchanging/replacing application software. When a portion of the application software is to be exchanged, an old software component to be exchanged carries out a state transfer, stops at a certain point, and directs available messages to a new software component. The software components include an application thread and an exchange thread. The old software component gathers its state after the application thread has stopped at an exchange point. The exchange thread then transmits the state through an exchange port to the new software component.

System for exchanging software processes during execution using threads

A communication system with a control circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes an operating system for exchanging messages and user software, and a device for exchanging software. For a software component to be exchanged in a few milliseconds, a newly loaded software component, corresponding to a successor component, obtains states and messages from a service port of a stopped software component that is to be replaced, corresponding to a predecessor component. The successor component is restarted with the transferred states and messages.

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Aachen, Germany

Steffen Hauptmann