A network device for a home entertainment network including a network controller configured to provide Ethernet communication capability, HEC, and CEC, consumer electronics control, communication capability, and a database generator unit configured to generate a database containing information about a network device of the home entertainment network, and a unique identifier of the respective network device.

Methods and apparatus for control of a client device (e.g., consumer premises equipment in a cable network) using applications. In one aspect, an improved hardware registry is provided within the device with which the application(s) can interface to both identify and control available hardware resources. In one exemplary embodiment, the client device comprises a digital set-top box having digital video recording (DVR) capability. An application downloaded to the device discovers the registry and software interfaces associated therewith, and then utilizes the interfaces to automatically control the requisite hardware capability. Improved client device, network and head end configurations, as well as methods of operating these systems, are also disclosed.

A network media environment includes a first hub network and a second hub network. The first hub network encompasses a first local environment based on a first server which is coupled to a first client. The second hub network encompasses a second local environment based on a second server which is also coupled to the first client. The first local environment and the second local environment overlap. The second local environment is movable with a movement of the second server.

Internet based digital content services, and mobile devices accessing the Internet based digital content services, are herein disclosed and enabled. The digital content services provide encrypted digital content to the mobile devices for ensuring security of the digital content. The encrypted digital content is device dependent to render at a specific device. In an example, a user of the mobile device may access the digital content at a digital content service by providing appropriate authentication or subscription information to the digital content service. Based on successful authentication, the user may select digital content from one or more digital content provided by the service. The service then generates encrypted output data that is based on the selected digital content and transmits the output data to the mobile device. The generated output data is device dependent and is rendered at specific devices, including the mobile device and output devices.

Methods and systems are provided for configuring or customizing settings or parameters of different media devices for compatible operations in an automated manner. An exemplary method of configuring a device for presenting media content in conjunction with a second device involves a client device detecting the device on a wireless network, identifying performance characteristics associated with the second device coupled to the device, and automatically configuring the device for operation with the second device via the wireless network and in a manner that is influenced by the performance characteristics associated with the second device. In this regard, one or more configurable parameters or settings maintained at the device and that influence its operation may be modified via the wireless network to correspond to performance characteristics of the second device, thereby facilitating compatible interoperation with the second device.

A system and method for collaboration e.g. by configuring network devices for streaming electronic media data over a computer network. The network includes type 1- and type 2 network devices and the data can be streamed from a type 1 network device to a type 2 network device according to an electronic value. A use-case includes a collection of such electronic values. Such a system or method can be used for combining a digital interactive dialog window with generic web content shown by web browsers. The digital interactive dialog window can be overlaid onto the web content in an ad-hoc manner.

A user's time and effort in making settings about information transmission from devices is reduced. An information processing method includes receiving information from a device, transmitting the received information to an information terminal of a user, detecting an attendance state of the user, and determining whether to issue a notification of the information based on the detected attendance state of the user.

A method for capturing and outputting digital content is herein disclosed and enabled, the output system includes an information apparatus, a server, and a client device. The information apparatus includes at least a digital camera and a wireless communication module (e.g., IEEE 802.11 or Bluetooth). The server is accessible by the client device over a network. The information apparatus, using the digital camera, captures digital content and transmits, over the Internet and using the wireless communication module, the digital content to the server for storage. The server generates output data from at least part of the digital content stored at the server, and provides the generated output data from the server to the client device that has security or authentication information for accessing the server. The client device outputs or plays at least part of the digital content at an output device associated with the client device.

Techniques are described for providing a simultaneous, multi-device user experience that employs computing devices with varying capabilities for data input and/or data output, using a microservice-based architecture. A user may register multiple devices with a service, which determines capabilities of the devices for data input and/or output. During a communication session involving the user and another user, such as a service representative, the service may receive input data collected through device(s) and/or provide output data to be presented on the same or other device(s), where such data input and data output is received and provided according to the input/output capabilities of the various devices. The data input and/or output may switch from device to device during a session. In some instances, data may be replicated for presentation through multiple devices simultaneously. Interactions with each device may be through a microservice that is associated with the device and/or its device type.

A scene switching method includes: determining whether a user moves from a first scene to a second scene or not; if yes, acquiring voiceprint information of the user in the second scene; determining each device to be switched in the first scene according to the voiceprint information, and obtaining an operation state of the device to be switched; and determining an operation state of each target device in the second scene.