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In this white paper, we introduce and discuss the personal television channel concept, a new content management and usage concept for personal video recorders. In addition, we concisely describe a possibility to implement targeted advertising, based on the personalization achieved by the personal channel concept.

This technical note is based on Bram Braat's master's thesis, written as a Industrial Design student at the Eindhoven University of Technology. The project was conducted at the User Experiences group in the context of the Hospitality project. The goal of this student project was to design a product or system that creates social interaction between people in a (semi-)public place. In this case to let tourists exchange experiences with each other in a hotel lobby. Tourist carry a lot of touristic experiences, for example information about nice restaurants, bars, best visiting times of museums, current events, unknown sights etc. Currently there is not much exchangeof this information while advice of other tourists appeared to be given more value than information by guiders or the tourist information. Based on this, a literature review towards social interaction in public places and an analysis of the context several concepts were created for systems that would enable social interaction between tourists. Throughout an iterative process these concepts were evaluated and developed using scenarios and experiential prototypes. This iterative process had a high user involvement with several user evaluations. This resulted in a final concept called the CityTIP system, where TIP stands for: 'Tourist Inspiring Pictures'. This system enables tourists to share their touristic photos with other guests as well gives them inspiration for exploring the city. The CityTIP system has been evaluated in a lab test to investigate thesocial interaction and general acceptance of the system. Based on these results a setup for further research is proposed, a setup for a more extensive lab test and a setup for a field test in ahotel lobby of a real hotel.

The advancement of current technology allows developing lightweightunobtrusive devices, which detect human physical activity. However, there has always been a major issue, hindering the regular usage ofthese gadgets - many people find it difficult to fit them in theirdaily routine. In this thesis, we develop an application, which allows us to measure the influence of online social networks on people involved in physical activity programs. On the grounds of our literature research, we identify different motivational triggers that can be employed for the design of a social network application in the context of physical activity programs. Based on these findings, we design and implement the ActiveTeam application, using Facebook as underlying social network service. In the course of the document we propose several methods to evaluate the behaviour of ActiveTeam users. These methods areintended to help us analyze and improve the application once it ismade available to a large number of users.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) enable people to control appliances without involving the normal output pathways of peripheral nervesand muscles. A particularly promising type of BCI is based on the Steady-State Visual Evoked Potential (SSVEP). Users can selectcommands by focusing their attention on repetitive visual stimuli(RVSi) that change one of their properties (e.g. color or pattern) with a certain frequency. These properties as well as the devicethe RVSi are rendered on, can greatly affect the performance, applicability, comfort and safety of the BCI. Despite this fact, stimulation properties have received fairly little attention in the BCI literature to this date. Furthermore, a heavy emphasis is placedon BCI performance to the detriment of other important factors suchas comfort and safety. The research reported in this document aimsat studying the effects of stimulation properties on performance aswell as comfort of SSVEP-based BCIs. Research was performed in bothoffline and online settings, using a custom made high-performance BCI. Comfort was measured using a custom questionnaire. A largevariability across subjects was found, but the results confirm that stimulation properties have a considerable impact on performance and comfort of SSVEP based BCIs. In general, a large difference between stimulation states is beneficial for BCI performance, but detrimen-tal to user comfort. A couple of configurations were found that provide a good compromise between comfort and performance.

Study of light-based skin rejuvenation needs prospective insights of mechanism of laser tissue interaction. A well-built model plays a key role in predicting temperature distribution in human skin exposed to laser irradiation. Therefore, it not only provides guidance for in vitro experiment, but also facilitates parametric studies of clinical treatment. In this project, three tasks were completed: Firstly, a new time-dependent mathematical model is built up to study dynamic thermal responses of human skin to laser irradiation. This model is a combination of three parts: MC (Monte Carlo) Simulation, which provides photon distribution; MATLAB data processing, which calculates heat generation rate from MC output; COMSOL modeling, compute real-time temperature change. Secondly, an experimental setup as built with 976nm laser diode of 1Watt and 4mm beam diameter. Based on the guidance of simulations, the system is designed to be in the best configuration, both for the requirement of experiment and for transportation. Thirdly, the mathematical model was validated by performing experiments with the experimental setup and ex vivo human skin. Two temperature measurement techniques were applied: thermocouple measurement and thermal camera measurement. Results derived from both experiment and simulations are compared. According to analysis, we may draw the conclusion that the model can serve as a reliable tool for predicting temperature distribution of human skin sample under laser irradiation, and it will facilitate parametric study of laser in skin rejuvenation. In addition, the innovative structure of the present model offers great probability to be further improved, by adjusting input parameters, boundary conditions, as well as functionality of the model. We believe that a further revised model, in the future, will be an even more powerful tool for improved treatments of skin rejuvenation.

Many photovoltaic cells and OLEDs are covered by cover glass or foil to protect the device against oxygen and moisture. The cover glassor foil is semitransparent for infrared radiation and conducts the heat and blurs lock-in thermograms. In lock-in thermograms of OLEDs with cover glass short circuits raise typically 10 mK in temperature,where as literature and observations suggest that polymers decompose into gas at way higher temperature behind the glass. A good interpretation of lock-in thermograms may be done by the understanding of the heat conduction and radiation through cover glass. Modelling of heat conduction and radiation around a short circuit in cover glass will be presented as well as first validation experiments where a short circuit has been imitated by a laser.

This report describes the theoretical background and development of an application to share physical activity information, as well as the results of a four-week field study in which people shared physical activity information as measured by the Philips Activity Monitor. The existing web-service DirectLife was enhanced with an interface that visualizes similarities, activity levels and patterns between users. The application, developed by deploying user-centered design methods, displays several attributes of physical activity. During the field study two groups of seven participants carried the activity monitor and shared activity information; either visualized on a publicly shared or private display. Visualizing similarities in physical activity is expected to increase interpersonal awareness, communication and perceived closeness. From the perspective of self-determination theory (SDT), this should increase the fulfillment of the need to belong. Such a fulfillment is expected to increase intrinsic motivation for physical activity and engagement in using the activity monitor. The results show the promise of using similarity and enhancing connectedness for technology-based persuasion. In addition, several recommendations are made for future efforts aimed at increasing motivation for physical activity.

A well designed mathematical model could serve as a direct, economical and flexible assistant tool to enable in-depth understanding of thermal response of human skin under laser irradiation. It provides us with reliable predictions of temperature change in skin tissue under laser irradiation. The mathematical model in this project is made up of three stages: Monte Carlo simulation, MATLAB data processing and COMSOL modeling. Based on the model, two topics of research were carried out as a preparation step for actual experiment. First, the temperature distribtion difference when applying different settings of source type for the laser: SourceType = 5 (Top-hat); SourceType =6 (Gaussian) and SourceType = 8 (Fiber) was assessed. Second, thetemperature distribution when using different value of µs corresponding to different initial temperatures T0 compared with using a constant µs value equal to the value of µs at 20º C was also tested.

The document consists of a diploma thesis, which describes a completely automated segmentation chain for the bones of the human hip joint from diagnostic MR images including the model-building process for the corresponding anatomical structures. Mainly relying on the well-established model-based segmentation framework, the approach discusses strategies such as the Hough Transform for pre-positioning the involved surface models in the image to enhance robustness of the model-based framework. Furthermore, simple strategies for optimal choice of parameters for the model-based framework are investigated. Theproposed methods have been tested on a set of nine MR images of female patients, all suffering from hip dysplasia.

In this report, we present a method using the capillary structuresunder the "distal interphalangeal joint" (DIP joint), which is located between the second and third (distal) phalanges of the finger, for achieving secure biometric authentication. Images of the DIPjoint are acquired using a microscope and they are subsequently processed to enhance the visibility of the blood vessels. DIP joint images cannot be easily faked and are not left behind. During enrollment, a set of images of the DIP joint are recorded and a region of interest that contains a large concentration of blood vessels is selected to serve as template for the enrolled subject. During authentication, the acquired image is compared to the template of the claimed identity by means of a score derived from the 2D cross-correlation. We have recorded a database containing images of sixty fingers (from nineteen subjects) on which our experiments resulted in an optimal equal-errorrate (EER) of 0%.

Background and purpose: It is the purpose of this article to review, which are possible criteria that rehabilitation technology should meet in order to offer upper limb training after stroke that is based on principles of motor learning. Methods: A computerised literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE. The period of time searched was 1997-2007. 130 journal papers (or booksections) were selected and have been used to write this review. Results: State-of-the art approaches in motor learning and training for stroke patients are described, followed by an overview of technology that supports training of arm and hand function after stroke. A list of possible criteria for upper limb rehabilitation technologyis presented. Finally, this paper evaluates strengths and weaknesses of current technological systems on the basis of the criteria thatare proposed. The review concludes with a vision on future developments.

This report describes basic technology developed for higher-level photo management applications. Based on the visual comparison of photos, distance measures are defined to yield a numerical value indicating how similar (or dissimilar) photos or groups of photos are. This enables a series of mid-level applications such as photo clustering, ordering or search by example; based on these, higher-level applications have been built, exploiting the basic functionality offered by this technology. The metrics defined in this report have been tested on large amounts of content. Real-world test sets comprising thousands of photos have been used, and, for video content-analysis applications, this technology served as basis for the analysis of dozens, if not hundreds of content from different genres, such as news or sports content.

Philips has designed an optical mammography machine. In this machine the breast is suspended into a cup in which the measurements take place. A special fluid is inserted into the cup to prevent the light from going around the breast instead of going through it but this fluid also weakens the signal. Therefore the cup's shape should be close to the breast's shape. The aim of this project was to design a device to measure the breast's shape. This device was used to perform a pilot study among 18 women, 36 breasts in total. There are several possibilities to create 3D images for example MRI, interfero-metry and triangulation. The method of triangulation is chosen to build a set-up. This set-up contains a video projector to project images into a tank filled with water. Two camera's capture these images. Special software has been written in LabVIEW to create 3D images out of these data. The maximum height of the breast and the FWHM was measured for all breasts. A correlation was found between bra cup size and the maximum height of the breast. On average the breast was 64 mm high, with a standard deviation of 8.5 mm. No correlation was found between the FWHM and a form of bra size or chest circumference. The average FWHM is 7.6 cm with a standard deviation of 2.5 cm.

Wireless power transfer by magnetic induction offers a simple to use way to recharge mobile devices like e.g. mobile phone, music players or medical sensors. As shown by a previous report and an existing Power Pad demonstrator, wireless inductive power transfer is possible with a good power efficiency and low magnetic radiation only on a surface and with local activation underneath the mobile device. However, compared to the existing Power Pad, an improved detection method for the local activation is needed. This report investigates the use of RF-ID tags for the position detection. It addresses the problem to multiplex the RF-ID signal to a number of neighboured powercells to locate the device and the simultaneous transfer of power and information. To investigate the solution, a demonstrator is designed and built. This first circuit can activate 4 neighboured and overlapping cells. The circuit consists of a NFC/RF-ID PN511 con-troller by NXP, an analogue multiplexer to direct the RF-ID signal to the cells and FETs as switches to switch the power signal to each cell. The system operates at 500 kHz for the power transmission and at 13.56 MHz for the RFID data transmission. The circuit is controlled by an external computer using a dedicated software developed with LabView.

The integral image is an image containing accumulated sums of pixel values taken from an input image. It is an important concept for the computationally efficient implementation of so-called box filters, where the sums of the values of pixel in a rectangular image region are calculated. An important example of an algorithm using the integral image, treated in this report, is the well-known Viola and Jones object detector. Though computationally efficient for its low number of operations, unaddressed issues with the integral image are its large storage size and word length. This report deals with methods to reduce both considerably. As a result the integral image becomes an even more attractive concept for applications having memory and power constraints, like portable multi-media devices. One algorithm is taken as example for an experiment, namely a Viola and Jones face detector. It is shown that with the proposed word length reduction technique itis possible to apply Viola and Jones face detection on VGA image using only a 16-bit media processing architecture.

Diode lasers can be found in various applications most notably in optical communication and optical storage. Visible lasers were until recently were all based on IR diode lasers. Using GaN, directly blue and violet emitting lasers have also been introduced to the market mainly in the area of optical recording. However blue diode lasers can find many new applications especially in the area of lighting. This short report describes laser basics and applications of visible lasers.

The effect of the Mason number, ratio of viscous and magnetic force, on suspended superparamagnetic micro sized beads was investigated experimentally. Microfluidic experiments were performed in a set-up that generates a rotating homogeneous magnetic field. In the presence of a magnetic field, the beads aggregate into chains. The dynamics of the beads were recorded by video microscopy. The analyzed results were compared with the predictions from the simulations by T.G. Kang et al [8][9]. This research gives more insight in the required conditions for active mixing with superparamagnetic beads for lab-on-chip applications.

A number of observations urge us to redefine and clarify our vision on a Next Generation IT infrastructure for Philips Research. To develop such vision we list and analyse developments and IT demands in Research programs together with technology opportunities and external developments in IT services for different application fields. This results in a vision on Next Generation R&D IT infrastructure and a series of steps in a roadmap towards such Next Generation IT infrastructure.

Dementia is significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. The most common types of dementia are: Alzheimer's disease (AD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In 2008, there are currently 29.8 million people with dementia, with the number expected to be 81.1 million by 2050. The classification of FDG-PET in patients with dementia might not be an easy task. Some dementia diseases have similar disease patterns which lead to the misdiagnosis of these diseases. Nowadays, images are visually evaluated by an expert reader and this process is not entirely quantitative or reproducible. Even the experts can have up to 20% misclassification. Automated diagnosis by pattern recognition can produce quantitative and reproducible results, but if training data comes from clinical routine, it may produce less accurate results to discriminate similar disease patterns. Hence, the work of this thesis aims to find an optimal subset of features, for a given training data set, which improves the classification of FDG-PET in patients with suspected dementia.The presented work describes some methods that found effective in improving the classification problem at hand. These methods consist of: (i) feature extraction, (ii) feature ranking, (iii) classifier learning with balanced data, (iv) feature selection. The results demonstrate the possibility to improve the accuracy of pair-wise classification for the most common dementia diseases with an excellent accuracy(in less time) by these methods.

We give a high-level, and quite abstract, overview of several aspects of end-user programming, in hope that such an overview can help in positioning further research on end-user programming.