Abstract:
A social networking system offers a variety of fixed and intelligent services and social device resources participating as members in a social network (SNET) group. Such members may include, for example, social billing and payment services, digital assistants and artificial intelligence functions, robotic control and training services, media content storage and playback services, data backup services, services that support distributed processes such as distributed research projects, networking elements such as network attached storage (NAS), firewalls, proxies, etc. In various embodiments, such services and resources may become available upon being selectively docked or otherwise associated (e.g., through docking of a supporting device) with a SNET group by a human member or third party via a docked user device. Selection of available services may be supported through a visual menu provided by a member device or support service.
Abstract:
An Ad Hoc social networking environment enables information and device access management between social networking groups and social networking members with or without access restrictions and anonymity. Contact and access information can be exchanged and updated on the fly without requiring users to notify other contacts or contacting devices and can support underlying contact information changes, enable extemporaneous termination or modification of contact access, enable temporary access, and the like. Ad Hoc social networking can utilize unique identifiers, proxy elements, or the like to support various levels of membership anonymity and Ad Hoc social networking. Proxy elements enable SNET tear down or dissolution by retracting the proxy service from a member. Storing social group contact information in shared databases can enable sharing and updating of contact information without the need to inform affected contacts. Some social networks can include various specialized devices and related services.
Abstract:
A social device including capabilities for participating in a social network group via a social infrastructure. Various functions and resources of the social device are accessible by members of the social network group. Likewise, the social device may be configured to access services and other resources of the social network group. The social device may participate in the social network group through an autonomous, automated or member-triggered process. In one embodiment, the social device functions as a social gateway to communicatively couple a child node and a social network group. The social gateway may comprise a set top box or mobile communication device, and the child node may be a human user that interacts with the social gateway through a user interface. In a further embodiment, the social gateway may concurrently operate as a child device that communicates with a social network group through another social device.
Abstract:
Video sub-reservation protocol in a wireless ecosystem. Appropriate access is provided to a number of wireless communication devices to ensure very high performance and a high perceptual user experience with respect to media related content communications. Access to the communication medium (e.g., air within a wireless location system) is provided to various wireless communication devices in a manner as to minimize collisions and contention. In one instance, different respective access assignment periods are sub-divided to give respective communication medium access to various devices within the system. Such sub-reservation may be adaptive in response to any of a number of considerations (e.g., traffic, device processing history, etc.). Also, such sub-reservation may provide respective time specificity at or during which certain devices may conduct communications, but may also specify any other operational parameters (e.g., which frequency spectra to use, duration of such communications, modulation coding set (MCS) to use, etc.).
Abstract:
Video sub-reservation protocol in a wireless ecosystem. Appropriate access is provided to a number of wireless communication devices to ensure very high performance and a high perceptual user experience with respect to media related content communications. Access to the communication medium (e.g., air within a wireless location system) is provided to various wireless communication devices in a manner as to minimize collisions and contention. In one instance, different respective access assignment periods are sub-divided to give respective communication medium access to various devices within the system. Such sub-reservation may be adaptive in response to any of a number of considerations (e.g., traffic, device processing history, etc.). Also, such sub-reservation may provide respective time specificity at or during which certain devices may conduct communications, but may also specify any other operational parameters (e.g., which frequency spectra to use, duration of such communications, modulation coding set (MCS) to use, etc.).
Abstract:
Members of a social network (SNET) circle can share content with other members of SNET circle, members of the same SNET that are not members of the same circle, or send content to people or devices outside of SNET. Trust chain can be used alone or in conjunction with other security measures to assign or select an appropriate level of content protection and SNET access. A trust rating or level associated with a trusted human member can be conferred to a social network device, allowing that device to be included in the trust chain. Trust can also be conferred from a trusted social network device to a child device of the social network device. A trust processing module can work in cooperation with one or more trust authorities to establish initial and updated overall trust levels of a human or device associated with the SNET.
Abstract:
Transcoding multiple media elements for independent wireless delivery. Respective media or multimedia elements are selectively and respectively encoded and/or transcoded. Such respective and selective processing of different media elements provides for their unbundled and independent communication to one or more other devices. In one instance, different respective overlays of a display (e.g., a computer, TV, PDA display, etc.) are respectively and selectively transcoded and/or encoded to generate different respective streams that may each be handled differently as a function of any number of parameters (e.g., media element type, content, communication channel characteristic, source proximity, priority, etc.). Different types of media elements include photo/image, video, graphics, text, audio, picture-in-picture, two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D), and/or other types of media elements as may be included within a given configuration of a display. Each respective encoding and/or transcoding may be particularly optimized or tailored for a given media element type.
Abstract:
Transcoding multiple media elements for independent wireless delivery. Respective media or multimedia elements are selectively and respectively encoded and/or transcoded. Such respective and selective processing of different media elements provides for their unbundled and independent communication to one or more other devices. In one instance, different respective overlays of a display (e.g., a computer, TV, PDA display, etc.) are respectively and selectively transcoded and/or encoded to generate different respective streams that may each be handled differently as a function of any number of parameters (e.g., media element type, content, communication channel characteristic, source proximity, priority, etc.). Different types of media elements include photo/image, video, graphics, text, audio, picture-in-picture, two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D), and/or other types of media elements as may be included within a given configuration of a display. Each respective encoding and/or transcoding may be particularly optimized or tailored for a given media element type.
Abstract:
A social networking environment enables interaction between social networking (SNET) groups. Some interactions between SNET groups can include docking various SNET groups based upon interactions between a member and some part of a social network. Various hierarchies of social networking infrastructure can enable hierarchical interactions between social devices, SNET groups, and other elements associated with various social networking infrastructures. Capabilities provided by various elements in various SNET infrastructures can be docked to create combined SNET groups, and capabilities provided by an SNET group can be accessed via interaction with a representative view of the capabilities. Various interactions can be managed based upon inputs, trigger events, authorizations, and the like provided by various processing systems, devices, members, or the like. Various interactions can enable members associated with an SNET infrastructure to access capabilities provided by an SNET group via a docked SNET group.
Abstract:
A social network (SNET) is divided into one or more circles having different trust levels. Communications between the different SNET circles is bridged by an SNET device capable of communicating with devices associated with the different SNET circles, even if those devices cannot communicate directly with each other. When a communication is sent between SNET circles, the SNET device verifies the trust level associated with the communication, and bridges the communication based, at least in part, on that trust level. The SNET device can be located in a demilitarized zone associated with both the first SNET circle and the second SNET circle. Where different SNET circles use different security secrets for communications between members, the SNET device can store different keys for each of those circles in separate, restricted portions of memory.