Alcatel Lucent

Toon Coppens

Lieven Leopold Albertine Trappeniers

Sigurd Van Broeck

Marc Bruno Frieda Godon

Koen Handekyn

Tim Gyselings

Ing-Jyh Tsang

Bart Alfons Peter Van Doorselaer

Geert Arthur Edith Van Wonterghem

Werner Van Leekwijck

Arjen Hendrikse

Hendrik Eugène Irène Nicolas Dacquin

Jan Alfons Albert Bouwen

Jan Lode Mia Moons

Rony Alfons Maria Baekeland

Bart Karel Hemmeryckx-Deleersnijder

Rudi Constantinus Broos

Hans De Mondt

Rudi Costantinus Josephina Broos

The invention includes a method and apparatus for facilitating cross-media use of object codes and object code readers, such as RFID tags and readers, barcode codes and readers, and the like. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an object code read request from a user device where the object code read request indicates that an object has been read using an object code reader, determining at least one of a provider of the object code read using the object code reader and a provider of the object code reader used to read the object code, and performing at least one operation in response to the object code read response. The at least one operation performed in response to the object code read response may include one or more of determining an object code read response and determining revenue sharing. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving and storing registration information adapted for use in responding to object code read requests.

Method and apparatus for cross-media use of RFID readers and RFID tags

A method of providing an Internet protocol television service to a subscriber, and a network element to execute this method. At an acquisition tier, IPTV packets are generated from video stream data of one or more video channels and transmitted to a FCC server cluster at a client-facing tier. IPTV packets associated with one of the one or more video channels selected by the subscriber are delivered from the deliver server cluster to a receiver of the subscriber at a client tier wherein the IPTV packets associated with the one of the one or more video channels are reassembled at said receiver into a coherent video stream. Said generated IPTV packets are routed from a network () of a TV broadcaster to networks of one or more TV operators or from a network of a TV operator to networks of one or more TV operators by means of IPTV service routers installed at an intertwine tier arranged between the acquisition tier and the client-facing tier.

Method of providing an IPTV service

A multimedia distribution system or interactive digital television broadcast system (iDTV) comprising several content providers (CP: CP, CP) broadcasting channels of video signals to a user (TV, STB) via a content selector (CS). The broadcast system comprises a user behavior analyzer (UBA) with quantitative behavior classifier (E(w)) able to analyze and to classify the quantitative consumption behavior of the user, and with a qualitative behavior classifier (F(x)) having as output classified user behaviors and prediction on future behaviors of the user. The classifiers are coupled to an opportunities selector (G(y)) that also receives information from additional content providers (ACP: ACP, ACP, ACP). Under control of the opportunities selector G(y), additional content, e.g. advertisements, meta-information, iTV applications, trailers, . . . is send to a multimedia data combiner (H(z)) whereby the additional content is published, e.g. by mixing or by an overlay operation on/ over the selected channel. As a result, the end-user gets his broadcast channel adapted with the content that was selected based on his consumption behavior. The role of the qualitative behavior classifier classifying and predicting the user consumption behaviors is different from the role of the opportunities selector defining, predicting and classifying windows of opportunities to publish/add content from additional content providers; and the interface (I) between them has an important role as business-to-business (B2B) interface.

Multimedia distribution system with user behavior analyzer

Interactive response systems () of call centers for giving users access to information comprise means () for receiving activation signals via audio or video or audio/video calls from the users and means () for transmitting menu signals to the users and means () for receiving selection signals from the users are provided with means () for transmitting video signals to the users for providing video to the user. This video may have entertaining, explaining, supporting and/or commercial functions and makes the interactive response systems more-sided and user friendly. The users either use two different devices () or use one device () for exchanging audio and for receiving video. The interactive response systems () further comprise means () for receiving link signals that provide direct or indirect links from the interactive response systems () to the devices () or to video or audio/video calls with the devices (). The devices (-) comprise means () for transmitting selection signals to the interactive response systems () for making selections within menus.

Interactive response system for giving a user access to information

Growing community of inventors

Lier, Belgium

Toon Coppens