A solution is proposed for encoding/multiplexing programs of national television channels and at at least one group of regional channels. A plurality of encoders works in variable bit rate (each is called national or regional depending on whether it receives programs from a national or regional television channel). An aggregator device generates at least one piece of common information from the information coming from the regional encoders. A statistical allocator receives it along with information coming from national encoders and gives a dedicated set of encoding parameters to each national encoder and a common set of encoding parameters to the regional encoders. For each region, a multiplexer generates a multiplexed signal from output signals of the national encoders and from the output signal of the encoder associated with the regional channel of this region.
H04N 7/173 - Analogue secrecy systemsAnalogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 7/10 - Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable
H04N 7/025 - Systems for transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame
H04N 21/2365 - Multiplexing of several video streams
H04N 21/2662 - Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
Exemplary methods for generating and providing personalized dynamic live content feeds are described. Recommended live content can be dynamically and intelligently provided to users based upon their prior consumption history so that the recommendations are highly relevant to the user. Live content recommendations can be provided to the user using feeds only when content exists that the user is likely to be interested in. These feeds can be displayed only when a minimum number of a specific live content items of a particular type or category are currently airing, and can be removed from the user interface when the content finishes airing and/or the minimum number of items is no longer met.
H04N 7/10 - Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable
H04N 7/025 - Systems for transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame
H04N 5/445 - Receiver circuitry for displaying additional information
G06F 3/00 - Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computerOutput arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
G06F 13/00 - Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units
H04N 21/2668 - Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. by inserting targeted commercials into a video stream based on end-user profiles
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies or resolving scheduling conflicts
H04N 21/466 - Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or servicesEnd-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/84 - Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
3.
Method and apparatus for reliable token revocation
Methods and systems for reliable token revocation at a server are described. The server receives, a token revocation policy, which includes an identification of a set of users for which a set of associated tokens are to be revoked. The server receives, from a first client device, a first request to access resources at the server, the first request including a first token generated at the token authority server for the client device, wherein the first token is associated with a first expiration time interval; and denies access to the resources at the server based on the first token and the token revocation policy, prior to an expiration of the first expiration time interval associated with the first token.
H04L 29/06 - Communication control; Communication processing characterised by a protocol
H04L 9/32 - Arrangements for secret or secure communicationsNetwork security protocols including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system
Exemplary methods for automatically testing closed caption (CC) rendering includes receiving a set of one or more reference audio video (AV) streams from an AV source, and generating reference CC images from the set of one or more reference AV streams starting from a recording start time to a recording stop time. In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving a set of one or more test AV streams from the AV source, and generating test CC images from the set of one or more test AV streams starting from the recording start time to the recording stop time. In one embodiment, the methods further include determining whether the AV source is performing CC rendering properly by automatically comparing the test CC images against the reference CC images.
H04N 17/04 - Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details for receivers
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
G06K 9/62 - Methods or arrangements for recognition using electronic means
H04N 5/445 - Receiver circuitry for displaying additional information
5.
System and method for insertion of a program clock reference during packetization of an encoded data stream
There is provided a method for clock reference insertion during packetization of an encoded data stream, wherein said packetization is performed before buffering of the data stream. The method comprises storing the value of each bit rate applied during encoding, and the duration of time for which each bit rate is applied. A clock reference time interval is converted into a clock reference data interval using the value of each bit rate applied and the duration of time for which each bit rate is applied. The clock reference data interval is used to determine where to insert a clock reference into the data stream during packetization.
H04N 11/02 - Colour television systems with bandwidth reduction
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video streamElementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clockClient middleware
H04N 21/236 - Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator ] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video streamRemultiplexing of multiplex streamsInsertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rateAssembling of a packetised elementary stream
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/434 - Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams or extraction of additional data from a video streamRemultiplexing of multiplex streamsExtraction or processing of SIDisassembling of packetised elementary stream
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 19/68 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using error resilience involving the insertion of resynchronisation markers into the bitstream
H04L 7/00 - Arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter
A method is proposed of selection, for a current image portion to be encoded and for at least one encoding module included in a video encoder, of at least one encoding parameter from amongst a set of encoding parameters available for the at least one encoding module. The method is based on a decision model defining a minimization, under a rate constraint, of a first measurement of distortion between source samples, included in the current image portion to be encoded, and current reconstructed samples, included in a current reconstructed image portion, obtained from the current image portion to be encoded. The decision model defines the minimization under an additional smoothness constraint, pertaining to a second measurement of distortion between the current reconstructed samples and preceding reconstructed samples, belonging to a temporal reference neighborhood comprising at least one preceding reconstructed image portion obtained from at least one preceding encoded image portion.
H04N 19/147 - Data rate or code amount at the encoder output according to rate distortion criteria
H04N 19/19 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the adaptation method, adaptation tool or adaptation type used for the adaptive coding using optimisation based on Lagrange multipliers
H04N 19/109 - Selection of coding mode or of prediction mode among a plurality of temporal predictive coding modes
H04N 19/11 - Selection of coding mode or of prediction mode among a plurality of spatial predictive coding modes
H04N 19/176 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the coding unit, i.e. the structural portion or semantic portion of the video signal being the object or the subject of the adaptive coding the unit being an image region, e.g. an object the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
H04N 19/13 - Adaptive entropy coding, e.g. adaptive variable length coding [AVLC] or context adaptive binary arithmetic coding [CABAC]
H04N 19/44 - Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
H04N 19/107 - Selection of coding mode or of prediction mode between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh
H04N 19/117 - Filters, e.g. for pre-processing or post-processing
H04N 19/12 - Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264
H04N 19/567 - Motion estimation based on rate distortion criteria
H04N 19/61 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using transform coding in combination with predictive coding
A method in a computing device for performing intelligent weighted image manipulations is described. The method includes determining whether edge image features are distributed evenly across an image. When the edge image features in the image are not distributed evenly across the image, the method further includes cropping the image at the bounds of an overlay region of a desired size that is set at a position within the image to include a largest number of the edge image features. According to an embodiment, when the edge image features in the image are distributed evenly across the image, the method further includes cropping the image at the bounds of the overlay region of a desired size that is set at the center of the image.
A first splicer manages a get-list request coming from a player and parameterized with an identifier of a first content and a group identifier. The first splicer obtains an initial playlist having a first URI template, pointing towards a first server and pre-parameterized with the identifier of the first content, and a first list of segment identifiers. The first splicer builds and transmits a final playlist to the player including a second URI template, pointing to a second splicer and pre-parameterized with the identifier of the first content and the group identifier, and a second list of virtual segment identifiers. Each virtual segment is associated with a segment of the first content or of an alternative content.
A system is proposed for dynamic reduction of the entropy of a signal upstream to a data compression device. The signal includes a set of successive frames. The system has a filtering decision module that provides a setpoint value of filtering and a filtering module that filters the signal according to the setpoint value of filtering and gives a filtered signal to the data compression device. The system further includes a module for obtaining a piece of information on complexity for each frame of the signal. The filtering decision module is adapted to determining the setpoint value of filtering, for each frame of the signal, as a function inter alia of the piece of information on complexity.
H04B 1/66 - Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission for reducing bandwidth of signalsDetails of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission for improving efficiency of transmission
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
H04N 11/02 - Colour television systems with bandwidth reduction
H04N 11/04 - Colour television systems using pulse code modulation
H04N 19/117 - Filters, e.g. for pre-processing or post-processing
H04N 21/2662 - Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
H04N 19/176 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the coding unit, i.e. the structural portion or semantic portion of the video signal being the object or the subject of the adaptive coding the unit being an image region, e.g. an object the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
H04N 19/14 - Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation
H04N 19/137 - Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference
H04N 19/19 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the adaptation method, adaptation tool or adaptation type used for the adaptive coding using optimisation based on Lagrange multipliers
10.
Method and device for buffering data for multiplexing
The invention relates to a method and device for buffering data for multiplexing. The invention also relates to a method of multiplexing and to a multiplexer arrangement using the method and device for buffering data for multiplexing. In one embodiment the invention can be applied to the buffering of non-traffic data, such as firmware updates or other supplementary information, before multiplexing the non-traffic data with traffic data, such as television data of television channels, to form a satellite broadcast channel. In embodiments of the invention, non-traffic data for multiplexing is buffered and then read out again for multiplexing at a rate which is a function of buffer fullness. The non-traffic data may be multiplexed with at least one traffic data channel. A multiplexer can view the non-traffic data channel as another multiplexing input and can allocate the available bit rate between the traffic data channels and the non-traffic data accordingly.
H04L 12/835 - Bitrate adaptation in active flows using buffer capacity information at the endpoints or transit nodes
H04L 12/851 - Traffic type related actions, e.g. QoS or priority
H04L 29/06 - Communication control; Communication processing characterised by a protocol
H04N 7/173 - Analogue secrecy systemsAnalogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systemsAnalogue subscription systems
H04J 3/24 - Time-division multiplex systems in which the allocation is indicated by an address
H04N 21/236 - Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator ] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video streamRemultiplexing of multiplex streamsInsertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rateAssembling of a packetised elementary stream
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
H04N 21/2365 - Multiplexing of several video streams
11.
System and method for insertion of a program clock reference during packetization of an encoded data stream
There is provided a method for clock reference insertion during packetization of an encoded data stream, wherein said packetization is performed before buffering of the data stream. The method comprises storing the value of each bit rate applied during encoding, and the duration of time for which each bit rate is applied. A clock reference time interval is converted into a clock reference data interval using the value of each bit rate applied and the duration of time for which each bit rate is applied. The clock reference data interval is used to determine where to insert a clock reference into the data stream during packetization.
H04N 11/02 - Colour television systems with bandwidth reduction
H04N 19/68 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using error resilience involving the insertion of resynchronisation markers into the bitstream
H04N 21/236 - Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator ] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video streamRemultiplexing of multiplex streamsInsertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rateAssembling of a packetised elementary stream
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video streamElementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clockClient middleware
H04N 21/434 - Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams or extraction of additional data from a video streamRemultiplexing of multiplex streamsExtraction or processing of SIDisassembling of packetised elementary stream
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
There is provided a method of processing video information, the method comprising encoding (430) received video information, the encoded video information having an encoded video bitrate (330), wherein the encoded video bitrate is variable in response to the complexity of the received video information. The method further comprises buffering (440) the encoded video information in a buffer (145), wherein the size of the buffer (145) is controlled in response to the complexity of the received video information.
H04N 19/115 - Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
H04N 21/2365 - Multiplexing of several video streams
H04N 19/149 - Data rate or code amount at the encoder output by estimating the code amount by means of a model, e.g. mathematical model or statistical model
H04N 19/14 - Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation
H04N 19/146 - Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
H04N 19/15 - Data rate or code amount at the encoder output by monitoring actual compressed data size at the memory before deciding storage at the transmission buffer
This document relates to video transport systems and in particular, though not exclusively, where several compressed or encoded video services are multiplexed into a fixed bit rate transmission stream. There is provided a method of allocating bit-rates for video services in a transport channel. The method comprises receiving user defined weighting parameters for a number of video services (410); then determining an available bit-rate for a transport channel for the video services (420). The method then automatically allocates a proportion of the available bit-rate to each video service according to their respective weighting parameters (430); and multiplexes the video services into the transport channel according to the allocated proportions of the available bit-rate (440).
The present invention provides a method of and a system for providing buffer management mechanism in an on-Demand environment to keep the popular content sections in server memory so as to reduce the repeatable disk I/O and improve the server performance. The method comprises: setting the state of a buffer to be ACTIVE when a file section stored in the buffer is requested by any users; setting the state of the buffer to be INACTIVE when users no longer request the file section stored in the buffer, the buffer in INACTIVE state having a lifetime; changing the state of the buffer from INACTIVE to FREE when the lifetime decreases to zero. The system comprises at least one detector for detecting the number of the users requesting a file section stored in the buffer and providing the detection results for a processor, one processor for determining the state of the buffer according to the detection results and providing instructions for at least one state setting unit, and at least one state setting unit for setting the state of the buffer based on instructions from the processor.
G06F 12/00 - Accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures
H04N 7/10 - Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systemsAnalogue subscription systems
H04N 21/24 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth or upstream requests
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
H04N 21/231 - Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers or prioritizing data for deletion
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
15.
Supporting functions for quality-assured P2P VoD services
The present invention relates to a method for controlling downloading of video segments or segmented video stream to a subscriber client unit, and a subscriber client unit adapted to perform said method. One object of the invention is to guarantee seamless playback and the optimal server load. Said object is by a method and a subscriber client unit that is controlled by a segment selector (SSA) and a server bandwidth control (SBC) algorithm.
H04N 7/173 - Analogue secrecy systemsAnalogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systemsAnalogue subscription systems
H04N 21/24 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth or upstream requests
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network componentsNetwork processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB'sCommunication protocolsAddressing
16.
Statistical content of block matching scheme for pre-processing in encoding and transcoding
Statistical content block matching for video pre-processing, for example in fast motion estimation, uses a second-order distortion criterion for processing steps such as identifying a best reference image portion for comparison with a current image portion. The second-order distortion criterion is a Lagrange-optimized combination of a mean squared error criterion with an entropy criterion. Then a fast motion estimation search advantageously includes performing a diamond search using the second-order distortion criterion to identify a candidate best reference image portion, and performing a nearest neighbor search starting using said second-order distortion criterion to identify the best reference image portion within a search range limited by an adaptive search range cap. A better motion vector can then be calculated.
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
A method of pre-processing a sequence of video picture data comprising I pictures, P pictures and B pictures, where the pictures are arranged as a plurality of Group Of Pictures (GOP) and each of the Group Of Pictures has a first picture and a plurality of Sub Group of Pictures (Sub-GOP). The method uses an analysis of the sequence of video picture data to determine a position of a scene change relative to a position of a start of a new GOP within the sequence of video picture data and then moves the start of the new GOP to coincide with the scene change by extending or decreasing a current GOP length according to whether the scene change and the start of a new GOP are within a predetermined number of pictures of each other. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided.
H04N 19/142 - Detection of scene cut or scene change
H04N 19/114 - Adapting the group of pictures [GOP] structure, e.g. number of B-frames between two anchor frames
H04N 19/87 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression involving scene cut or scene change detection in combination with video compression
H04N 19/137 - Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference
H04N 19/172 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the coding unit, i.e. the structural portion or semantic portion of the video signal being the object or the subject of the adaptive coding the unit being an image region, e.g. an object the region being a picture, frame or field
H04N 19/61 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using transform coding in combination with predictive coding
H04N 19/177 - Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the coding unit, i.e. the structural portion or semantic portion of the video signal being the object or the subject of the adaptive coding the unit being a group of pictures [GOP]
18.
Determination of a type of picture encoding of a decompressed video signal
A method and apparatus for determining a type of picture encoding of a decompressed video signal by detecting periodic changes of high frequency content of individual fields of the video signal. The determination may be used in particular to align picture types in successive video compression systems in a video compression concatenation chain.
A method and apparatus for obtaining a real time media stream provided as a plurality of media fragments from a plurality of remote nodes in a communications network. A first series of media fragments satisfying a first selection criterion is requested from a first remote node and a further series of media fragments satisfying a further different selection criterion is requested from at least one further remote node. When combined, the first series of fragments and the further series of fragments provide the complete media stream.
G06F 15/16 - Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systemsAnalogue subscription systems
20.
Method and apparatus for obtaining media over a communications network
A method and apparatus for obtaining a real time media stream provided as a plurality of media fragments from a plurality of remote nodes in a communications network is described. Media fragments are requested from the plurality of remote nodes. A series of media fragments is received from at least one of the plurality of remote nodes. A selection criterion is determined for identifying the series of data fragments, and a blocking request is sent to at least one other of the plurality of remote nodes, the blocking request instructing the at least one other node to block the media fragments satisfying the selection criterion from being sent.
G06F 15/16 - Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs
21.
Image encoding or decoding method and device, with parallelization of processing over several processors and coprocessors, corresponding computer-readable storage medium
i blocks, 0≦i≦N−1 and
s,j blocks, with:
managing sending of first, second and third start messages, and first and second verification messages to the processors and coprocessors, according to a predetermined set of rules.
A technique for controlling a wireless broadcast transmission of media data via multiple transmitter sites into a broadcast area with different inter-site distances is proposed. The broadcast area comprises a region of large inter-site distance (ISD) and a region of small inter-site distance. The technique provides for a high spectral efficiency in regions of small ISD and at the same time for an acceptable reception quality in regions of large ISD. A first transmission is initiated into the broadcast area, wherein the first transmission is adapted for reception in a first of the regions. A second transmission is initiated into a second of the regions, the second transmission being adapted for reception in the second region.
An IMS-enabled control channel for an IPTV service is provided by receiving at a Serving Call/State Control Function (S-CSCF) a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) REGISTER message, the SIP REGISTER message identifying the originating user, receiving at the originating user a response from the S-CSCF indicating that the originating user has been authorized, and sending a SIP INVITE message from the S-CSCF to establish an open channel connection with a selected IPTV Application Server (AS). This open channel connection can then be used for the transmission of control messages, such as for starting play, starting recording, stopping play, etc., between the STB and the IPTV applications server, as well as for the delivery of personalized content, such as advertisements, voting responses, personalized voting triggers and targeted interactive events. By maintaining an open control channel with the IPTV AS, this offers a substantial reduction in the setup delay times for different applications.
G06F 15/16 - Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs
A system and method for time-shifting and chase-play for an IPTV system. A control channel is established between an originating user's set top box (STB) and an IPTV Application Server (IPTV-AS) utilizing SIP signaling over an IP Multimedia Subsystem. For time-shifting, the STB sends a start time-shifting command to the IPTV-AS over the control channel, and the IPTV-AS sends a start recording command to a Network Private Video Recorder (N-PVR). When the user is ready to resume viewing, the STB sends a start chase-play command to the IPTV-AS to establish a unicast channel. The IPTV-AS sends a playback command to the N-PVR to begin playback of the time-shifted content.
A media manager can insert targeted material into content in accordance with a campaign. A campaign can identify the location in the content where the targeted material should be inserted. A campaign manager can create the campaign and can determine based upon configuration information relating to the media manager, whether the targeted material can be inserted into the content upon the media manager receiving a request for the content.
H04N 9/77 - Circuits for processing the brightness signal and the chrominance signal relative to each other, e.g. adjusting the phase of the brightness signal relative to the colour signal, correcting differential gain or differential phase
A method and apparatus for video rate control for a video encoding system for encoding a video signal includes determining 12 a variance of pixel values over a time t of the video signal and calculating 13 a quantization parameter for the time t using the pixel variance and a number of output bits for the time t and a quantization parameter, pixel variance and a number of output bits used for an immediately previous time t−1.
A method of obtaining a quantization value for macroblocks of a picture for video compression includes estimating 11, for a plurality of quantization values, a size of the picture in terms of a sum of all quantized coded coefficients. A linear relationship between a size of a macroblock and Activity of the macroblocks is assumed 12, where the Activity of the macroblock is the number of coded coefficients in the macroblock before discarding any coefficients or quantizing the remaining coefficients. The macroblocks are divided 13 into groups by their Activity level such that substantially a same number of pre-quantization coefficients are in each group. An average Activity of each group is determined 14. A quantization value for each group is determined 15 from the assumed linear relationship between a number of bits per macroblock and Activity of the macroblocks and the average Activity of the group, as imposed by a predetermined bit rate.
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
H04N 11/02 - Colour television systems with bandwidth reduction
H04N 11/04 - Colour television systems using pulse code modulation
A technique is described for managing the local storage of digital assets, such as audio, (moving or still) pictures, text, executable code and combinations thereof, in the storage device of a user appliance, such as a personal video recorder, set top box, mobile phone or storage server. A digital asset is received that is intended for local storage in the storage device and that has been pushed down from a source. A rank order is assigned to each digital asset stored or to be stored in a storage device that has a finite capacity storage space for storing digital assets. The assigned rank orders of one or more of the digital assets are repeatedly examined and a digital asset having a rank order that is lowest among the examined rank orders may be deleted. Each rank order is assigned based on predefined default ranking rules and user instructions pertaining to one or more of the digital assets that are capable of causing a deviation from the default ranking rules, if any have been provided by the user. A signal may be provided containing executable instructions that can be executed at programmable electronic circuits for performing the above steps. Such a signal may be stored on a storage medium. A system for performing the above steps may include a receiver for receiving the digital assets and a processor for assigning ranking orders and for repeatedly examining the ranking orders and selectively deleting digital assets with low ranking orders.
A deblocking/deflickering filter decreases artifacts produced in a block-based image compression system, wherein a plurality of transform coefficients are produced respectively indicative of different frequencies in input signal values. The filter includes a first filter portion for deblocking filtering a first low frequency one of the transform coefficients and a second filter portion for deblocking filtering a second low frequency one of the transform coefficients, the first low frequency being different from the second low frequency. The deblocking filter passes through at least a third one of the transform coefficients having a third frequency higher than both of the first and second frequencies without deblocking filtering.
A real time encoder with bit rate constraint, of the type including: a capture buffer memory storing frames waiting to be processed; an encoding module receiving frames issued from the capture buffer memory and delivering compressed frames; an intermediate buffer memory, storing the compressed frames issued from the encoding module; and an emission buffer memory, storing data packets, resulting from the division of the compressed frames issued from the intermediate buffer memory, and emitting, with a controlled bit rate, the data packets on a communication channel. The encoder includes a control module, which dynamically adjusts the maximum size of the capture buffer memory, permitting the maximum size of the capture buffer memory to be temporarily increased as long as the emission buffer memory is not empty.
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
H04N 11/02 - Colour television systems with bandwidth reduction
H04N 11/04 - Colour television systems using pulse code modulation
G01R 31/08 - Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
A system and method is disclosed allowing a cable network provider to dynamically allocate a network resource, in the form of channel bandwidth, for conveying either analog or digital assets. Certain assets are distributed in a cable network in an analog manner but only during certain time periods. The network resources could be used for offering digital services at other times. A programmable RF switch allows network resources to be switched to convey digital assets when the analog channels are not required. The digital assets conveyed may comprise movies, games, or music and can be transferred during ‘off-hours’ for local storage in the set top box in anticipation of future requests by a user. When the asset is requested, the set top box first checks if the asset is locally available, and if so, spools it out locally.
Encoded symbols of a concatenated convolutional-encoded and block encoded signal are presented to a conventional first stage of a concatenated decoder, comprising in sequence a soft metric generator, a Viterbi decoder, a first de-interleaver and a first block decoder such as a Reed-Solomon decoder. The encoded symbols are also presented to a delay chain to produce progressively delayed encoded symbols. Where an output block of the conventional decoder is indicated as being a valid codeword by the first block decoder, the bytes in this block are marked as being correct. These bytes that are known to be correct are then used after interleaving and serialization as known bits input to a second stage of the decoder process operating on the delayed encoded symbols and incorporating a modified soft metric generator constrained by the known bits. This process can be extended to further iterations as required. A modified Viterbi decoder, which is also constrained by the known bits, may also be used in the second and subsequent iterative stages.
H03M 13/03 - Error detection or forward error correction by redundancy in data representation, i.e. code words containing more digits than the source words
34.
Apparatus and method to find the maximum or minimum of a set of numbers
An apparatus for determining a best number, representing a maximum or minimum of a set of numbers, includes a first comparator 3 having a latency of at least one clock cycle to compare a current number with a current best score and to output a corresponding first comparator signal 7 and at least a second comparator 13 having a latency of at least one clock cycle to compare the current number with any other input number compared with a current best number while the current number was being processed through the apparatus and to output at least a corresponding second comparator signal 18. A combinatorial logic block 15 receives the comparator signals and outputs a corresponding signal 20 dependent thereon and on a flag signal 21 received from flagging means arranged to flag whether the current best number was updated for one or more preceding input numbers while the current number was being processed. A switch 6 outputs either the current best number, or the current number, as a new current best number, dependent upon the combinatorial logic block signal. A resultant reduction in logic steps processed in each clock cycle permits an increased clock frequency compared with the prior art.
G06F 7/00 - Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled
G06F 15/00 - Digital computers in generalData processing equipment in general
35.
Method and device for detecting transitions in a video sequence, method and device for coding, computer program products and corresponding storage means
H04N 5/14 - Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region
36.
Image coding or decoding device and method involving multithreading of processing operations over a plurality of processors, and corresponding computer program and synchronisation signal
A method and apparatus are provided for coding or decoding an image comprising macro-blocks which are distributed in lines and columns. The processing of at least one given macro-block requires the pre-processing of at least one other macro-block on which said dependent macro-block depends. Moreover, the macro-blocks are processed sequentially line by line or column by column. Processing of the macro-blocks is multithreaded over N processors, N≧2. The image is separated into N vertical bands each comprising a plurality of lines and at least one column of macro-blocks if the macro-block is processed sequentially line by line, or into N horizontal bands each comprising a plurality of columns and at least one line of macro-blocks if the macro-block is processed sequentially column by column. One of the N bands is processed by each processor, and the processing operations performed by the N processors is synchronized.
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
37.
Statistical content block matching scheme for pre-processing in encoding and transcoding
Statistical content block matching for video pre-processing, for example in fast motion estimation, uses a second-order distortion criterion for processing steps such as identifying a best reference image portion for comparison with a current image portion. The second-order distortion criterion is a Lagrange-optimized combination of a mean squared error criterion with an entropy criterion. Then a fast motion estimation search advantageously includes performing a diamond search using the second-order distortion criterion to identify a candidate best reference image portion, and performing a nearest neighbor search starting using said second-order distortion criterion to identify the best reference image portion within a search range limited by an adaptive search range cap. A better motion vector can then be calculated.
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
A method of controlling frame types in a video compression system having I, P and B frames calculates activity figures of the video signal in vertical, vertical temporal and horizontal directions. Video sequences with low complexity in which the vertical activity within a field is less than the vertical-temporal activity within a frame are encoded without using B frames whereas sequences with high complexity, i.e. spatial detail, are encoded using B frames by the use of the invention, disadvantages associated with B frames are reduced by the selected use of B frames.
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
39.
Synchronization and automation in an ITV environment
A synchronization mechanism embeds synchronization triggers into a television signal or stream at regular intervals. The triggers include an accurate representation of the time in which the triggers were embedded. A receiving device decodes the triggers and synchronizes its internal timer based on the triggers. In this regard, the receiving device obtains a reference time from the internal timer and computes an offset between the reference time and the trigger time. The computed offset is then applied to the reference time. With the receipt of each new trigger, the application compares the trigger time to a new reference time with the most recently computed offset value applied. If there is any variance between these two values, the application creates a new smoothed offset.
An apparatus for automatically detecting and selecting between progressively scanned and interlaced signals has an input video signal 11 applied to a progressive frame detector 12, a de-interlacer 14 and a compensating delay 13 which has the same latency as the de-interlacer 14. The progressive frame detector determines if the input video signal is an interlaced signal or a progressively scanned signal. If it is determined that the applied signal is interlaced, then output from the de-interlacer 14 is selected. If, on the other hand, it is determined that the applied signal is progressively scanned, then the input video signal is selected after passing through the compensating delay. In both instances, the selected output is a progressive video signal 19 which may be transmitted if the device is used in an encoder or applied to a display device if the apparatus is used in a decoder.
A system and method is provided for revising the time stamp information in an MPEG-2 encoded data transport stream after content in the transport stream is modified. Incoming packets are stamped with arrival times and packet sequence counts. Synchronization points within the elementary stream are identified and arrival times for those synchronization points are calculated. After elementary streams are modified, commensurate arrival times are calculated based on arrival times and packet sequence counts of incoming packets, as well as the arrival times of the identified synchronization points within the elementary stream and the bit ratio between the incoming packets and the modified outgoing packets. Calculated arrival times are stamped on the outgoing packets and used to time the output of the outgoing stream.
SYNC. TOA interpolation of TOA stamps previously added to the transport stream are used to determine modified TOA stamps to be substituted into the transport stream for the previously added TOA stamps.
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
H04N 11/02 - Colour television systems with bandwidth reduction
H04N 11/04 - Colour television systems using pulse code modulation
43.
Method and system for modeling the relationship of the bit rate of a transport stream and the bit rate of an elementary stream carried therein
A method and system are disclosed for controlling the generation of a systems layer stream, such as a transport stream, that carries a program made up of at least one elementary stream, such as an encoded audio signal or an encoded video signal. The systems layer stream is made up of serial segments, such as packets, which contain information specific to the systems layer, such as headers, and segments of elementary stream data. The bit rate of one or more of the elementary streams is adapted in accordance with a dynamically changing relation that relates the bit rate of such elementary streams to the bit rate of the portion of the systems layer stream that carries them.
H04B 1/66 - Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission for reducing bandwidth of signalsDetails of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission for improving efficiency of transmission
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
H04N 11/02 - Colour television systems with bandwidth reduction
H04N 11/04 - Colour television systems using pulse code modulation
44.
Model and model update technique in a system for modeling the relationship of the bit rate of a transport stream and the bit rate of an elementary stream carried therein
A method and system are disclosed for controlling the generation of a systems layer stream, such as a transport stream, that carries a program made up of at least one elementary stream, such as an encoded audio signal or an encoded video signal. The systems layer stream is made up of serial segments, such as packets, which contain information specific to the systems layer, such as headers, and segments of elementary stream data. The bit rate of one or more of the elementary streams is adapted in accordance with a dynamically changing relation that relates the bit rate of such elementary streams to the bit rate of the portion of the systems layer stream that carries them.
H04N 7/12 - Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal
H04N 11/02 - Colour television systems with bandwidth reduction
H04N 11/04 - Colour television systems using pulse code modulation
H04B 1/66 - Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission for reducing bandwidth of signalsDetails of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission for improving efficiency of transmission
45.
Systems and methods for providing flexible provisioning architectures for a host in a cable system
Flexible systems and methods are disclosed that may be used for provisioning, configuring, and controlling a host embodied in a cable set top box or other digital device attached to a digital communication network, such as cable distribution network. An enhanced services system maintains various host files for various types of hosts that a cable subscriber may purchase and connect to the cable network. The Enhanced Services Server interacts with the host using the host files. The host files may be downloaded from the host manufacturer into a database that distributes the modules as required to the various enhanced services systems. The host may be purchased by the cable subscriber and provisioning may be initiated by the retailer at the time of purchase using a provisioning network interacting with the appropriate cable system serving the subscriber. This abstract is not intended to limit or construe the scope of the claims.
A synchronization system and method coordinates the provision of interactive content provided in a broadcast signal and independently of a broadcast signal.
A system is provided for controlling the transmission of best-effort filed data or programs on channels from one of plural controllers to one or more client nodes. A program is a group of files and has program information indicating to a client node how to use the files of the program. A channel is a virtual path, wherein a client node can receive program files from different channels in a separable fashion. Channels also have channel information. Multiple controllers are provided which self configure in rank order to control the scheduled transmission of programs files on channels. Client nodes receive announcements of programs and channels from the controllers and selectively subscribe to the channels and programs. Client nodes can be instructed to positively acknowledge receipt of programs and also send back negative acknowledgements for ranges of data words in program files not received. The negative acknowledgements can be consolidated to reduce the number of packets on the network. The format of packets carrying program files and acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement messages are specified.
G06F 15/16 - Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs
H04L 12/825 - Adaptive control, at the source or intermediate nodes, upon congestion feedback, e.g. X-on X-off
H04L 1/18 - Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
An interactive television (ITV) system transmitting ITV content created and received by different ITV platforms via a single ITV stream. The system provides universal time codes which are embedded into the ITV stream. Each time code is associated with a program identifier which uniquely identifies a particular program. An ITV receiver receives the ITV stream and compares the program identifier and time code with a program held in the receiver's memory. When a match is found, an interactive event indicated by the program is executed. The program may be loaded into the receiver's memory using a back channel.
An interactive television system tailoring delivery of interactive content. The system includes a request processing engine accepting user interactions with an interactive television (ITV) application. A user profiling engine associates the user interactions with an individual profile or profile group. The profile group defines events that may be triggered upon receipt of certain user interactions. A trigger/event engine monitors, in real-time, whether the user interactions correspond to any of the defined events. If an event is to be triggered, an action engine transmits an ITV command associated with the event to an encoder. The encoder performs a real-time of encoding of the ITV command for providing viewers with a dynamic ITV experience. The ITV experience provided to the viewers may also be customized based on the profile information obtained for each individual viewer.
A personal video service manager can store one or more personal video assets on a server. A personal video asset can include a recording of a broadcast stream of a broadcast asset or an asset that has been pre-authored in a personal video asset format. Upon receiving a request from a subscriber to receive the personal video asset, the personal video service manager can facilitate a connection between the server and the subscriber for distributing the personal video asset from the server to the subscriber.
A method and apparatus for delivering interactive television (ITV) data by using the same TV scan line that also carries closed caption data. The ITV data is inserted into the scan line with CC data by detecting a gap associated with a first CC data unit. If the gap is large enough to contain all of the group of ITV data units then electronically insert the entire group of ITV data units into the gap. If the gap is not large enough to contain the entire group of ITV data units, insert a subset of the entire group of the ITV data units into the gap and continue to the gaps associated with successive CC data units, inserting subsets of the ITV data into subsequent gaps until the entire ITV message has been inserted into the gaps between CC data units.
Systems and methods that divide the billing function of a billing system from the provisioning function of a service in digital cable systems. Because the billing system is only responsible for billing, rather than the provisioning of services, new services may be quickly added to cable systems without the time consuming and expensive task of configuring the billing system specifically for new services added to the system. The services are implemented using an offering package created by the service, where the offering package contains billing related information forwarded to the billing system to bill for the service.
G07F 19/00 - Complete banking systemsCoded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines
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