Abstract:
A content distribution system may include a headend server and media converters, the headend server being configured to distribute content items to user devices via the media converters and gateway devices. Each of the media converters may include a media converter cache and may be coupled to the headend server and a subset of the gateway devices, where each of the user devices is communicatively coupled to one of the gateway devices. The headend server may be further configured to determine one of the content items that is expected to be requested by a group of the user devices, determine one of the media converters that is coupled, via the subset of the gateway devices, to a largest number of user devices in the group of the user devices, and coordinate storing the one of the content items in the media converter cache of the one of the media converters.
Abstract:
A system includes one or more network media service devices, with each network media node operably connected upstream to one or more gateway devices. At least one of the network media service devices is configured to intercept an ABR-related request to receive digital media content for a media channel sent from a client set top box to a remote ABR server located upstream from the at least one network media device, identify a second gateway device that is storing the digital media content, the second gateway device having previously received the digital media content from the remote ABR server, and return a network address of the second gateway device to the client set top box for use by the client set top box to receive the digital media content from the second gateway device. In various implementations, the network address is returned in connection with an HTTP response indicating a redirection to the network address.
Abstract:
Methods, systems and computer program products to synchronize timing of data transmissions between wireless and wired networks using a combined wireless gateway and cable modem are provided herein. The method includes the step of generating an indicator prior to a look-ahead time period and transmitting a poll to a wireless device upon sending the indicator. The look-ahead time period is a time period from transmitting the indicator to transmitting the DOCSIS frame. The method further includes the step of receiving data from the wireless device and encapsulating the data in a DOCSIS format to generate a DOCSIS frame. The method also includes transmitting the DOCSIS frame at a start of a next transmit opportunity to a cable modem termination system (CMTS).
Abstract:
A data communication architecture delivers a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, to consumers. The architecture employs channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. The architecture includes intermediate network devices that may receive content and send content using different groups of communication channels. The network device may process content received across a first set of communication channels for transmission across a second set of communication channels different from the first set. Such processing may preserve a program order of the content during delivery to a destination device.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for processing B pictures with missing or invalid forward reference pictures are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include decoding of a contiguous sequence of B pictures that immediately follow a first I picture after a sequence header. The decoding of the B pictures may handle video edit codes in the AVS1-P2 format and/or random access points. Some embodiments of the invention may discard B pictures that refer to invalid or missing forward reference pictures, while other embodiments of the invention may interpolate B pictures. For an invalid forward reference picture, the interpolation algorithm for generating pictures may use the invalid forward reference picture and the backward reference picture. For a missing decoded forward reference picture, as in a random access, the interpolation algorithm for generating pictures may use the backward reference picture.
Abstract:
A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices and handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. A user may be associated with one or more of the plurality of devices. A directory may be generated by the broadband gateway for the peer-to-peer communications based on the identified one or more individuals. The directory may comprise name information, location information, contact information, communication device information, and/or content sharing information. The broadband gateway may communicate the directory to one or more network access service providers and/or one or more content providers. Peer-to-peer exchanges and/or network resource allocations for the peer-to-peer communications may be controlled and/or monitored by the network access services providers and/or the content providers based on information in the directory.
Abstract:
Different data communication architectures receive a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, for consumers. The architectures employ channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. In some implementations, the communication architectures receive distributed video programming in the form of MPEG2 TS packets, flagged by marker packets. Channel bonding synchronization information may be present in packets defined above the data-link layer or received in fields within data-link layer frames.
Abstract:
A server may be used to handle at least some of processing of content retrieved via and/or derived from Internet access operations of a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs). Resource allocation and/or utilization, and/or tasks or applications performed in the server during the processing may be configured based on control data, which may be determined by the server and which may comprise capabilities of links between the server and each of the plurality of STBs, requirements of the tasks, characteristics of the content and/or the Internet access operations, user preferences and/or interactions, and/or content provider preferences. The server may dynamically reconfigure the tasks and/or resources based on monitoring of its operations and/or changes of the control data. Configuring tasks and/or resources may comprise time slicing access to resources that are commonly used during concurrent servicing of at least some of the plurality of STBs by the support server.
Abstract:
Different data communication architectures deliver a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, to consumers. The architectures employ channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. In some implementations, channel bonding may be used to bond channels with mixed serial and parallel streams.
Abstract:
A data communication architecture delivers a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, to consumers. The architecture employs channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. In some implementations, the communication architecture communicates content according to an initial bonding configuration. The communication architecture may adjust the bonding configuration to adapt to bonding environment changes affecting the communication capabilities or requirements associated with transmitting the content.