Abstract:
The present invention provides a system and method for modifying a profile of a user device prior to sending the profile to a destination server, wherein the destination server customizes content provided to the user device based on the modified profile. In general, the profile of the user device may include information identifying capabilities of the user device, user preferences, and demographic information regarding a user of the user device. At either the user device or a mediating server interconnecting the user device and the destination server, the profile of the user device is modified based upon one or more rules to provide the modified profile. The modified profile is then provided to the destination server, which customizes content provided to the user device based on the modified profile.
Abstract:
A system and method for automatically configuring a content capture device according to a configuration profile for a desired service are provided. In general, the user of the content capture device registers for one or more services. Thereafter, in one embodiment, the user of the content capture device selects one of a desired service prior to content capture. In another embodiment, the desired service is selected based on contextual information obtained by the content capture device. Once the desired service is selected, the content capture device obtains a configuration profile for the desired service. The configuration profile includes required or suggested configurations for the content capture device when capturing content to be distributed to the desired service. The content capture device performs an auto-configuration process based on the configuration profile. Once the content capture device is configured, content captured by the content capture device is distributed to the desired service.
Abstract:
A system and method are provided for controlling content played by a number of media devices. In general, the system includes a mobile device and the number of media devices. The mobile device includes a wireless communication interface for communicating with the media devices, a media database, and a control system including a media client. When the mobile device enters a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) associated with a media device, the media client obtains information describing the content residing at the media device and stores the information in the media database at the mobile device. Thereafter, when the mobile device is within the WPAN associated with the media device, the media database is used to select content to be played at the media device.
Abstract:
Providing and receiving content for nodes of a computer network. In one aspect, a method for receiving content for nodes on a network includes establishing a computer device as a gateway device that can communicate in a first network and communicate with a server in a second network. The gateway device makes a request for content to be provided to at least one destination node in the first network. The requested content is received at the gateway device and is then provided to the destination node, where the received content is based on stored settings for the at least one destination node.
Abstract:
A system and method are provided for accessing and managing information, or metadata, describing content residing on a number of agent devices. In general, the system includes a central node and a number of agent devices communicatively coupled by a network. In operation, the central node communicates with the agent devices to obtain content information describing content stored at the agent devices and optionally the locations of the agent devices from the agent devices. The content information and optionally the locations of the agent devices are stored in a database associated with the central node. Thereafter, the central node enables requesting nodes such as the agent devices to access the database For example, the agent devices may communicate with the central node to obtain the content information for one or more known agent devices or to query the database to find agent devices having content information and optionally locations that satisfy specified criteria. In addition or alternatively, the central node may provide automatic alerts to the agent devices when other agent devices matching specified criteria are available.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a system and method for recommending templates for electronic or online photo albums. In general, digital images are selected to form a photo album. The metadata associated with the digital images is analyzed to provide selection criteria. Using the selection criteria, one or more templates are selected from a template database as recommended templates. One of the recommended templates is selected and applied to the photo album.
Abstract:
A system and method are provided for hosting digital images embedded in an external website, wherein the digital images are modified to include additional content such as advertisements when served to a guest of the external website. In general, a host website including a web server and an image database operates to host digital images for external websites. When the web server associated with the host website receives a request for a digital image embedded within a webpage of the external website, the web server analyzes metadata associated with the digital image to produce selection criteria and selects additional content to add to the digital image based on the selection criteria. The web server then modifies the digital image to include the additional content, thereby generating a modified image, and provides the modified image to the requesting node.
Abstract:
A hybrid peer-to-peer network that lowers proxy bandwidth utilization is provided. The peer-to-peer network includes peer nodes, a proxy server, and one or more guest nodes. To initiate a transfer of digital content residing on a peer node, a requesting node, which may be another peer node or a guest node, sends an HTTP request to the proxy server. The proxy server determines whether the requested digital content is bandwidth rich content such as digital images, video, or audio. If so, the proxy server generates a URL for the digital content and sends an HTTP redirect message. The requesting node then generates a second HTTP request based on the HTTP redirect message and sends the second HTTP request to the peer node. In response, the peer node generates an HTTP response including the requested digital content and sends the HTTP response to the requesting node.
Abstract:
Syndication feeds for peer computer devices. In one aspect, a request is received at a server for a syndicated feed from a peer on a peer-to-peer network. It is determined whether the peer is currently online or offline; if online, the requested feed is pulled from the peer and served to the requestor, and if offline, the requested feed is retrieved from a cache of the server and served to the requestor. In one. embodiment, an online/offline indicator is inserted in a feed by the server to indicate to the user the online or offline status.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and system for creating a bidirectional link between first and second online albums in a peer-to-peer photo sharing network. Exemplary embodiments include receiving on a first peer, a user request to create a bidirectional link, wherein the request includes an identification of a first online album on the first peer and a URL of a second online album on a second peer; automatically sending to the second peer, a URL of the first online album and a request to create a link on the second online album to the first album; and automatically creating a link on the first online album to the second online album using the URL of the second online album. In a further embodiment, the link to the second online album is displayed with information regarding the second online album, including an online status of the peer hosting the linked online album.