Cisco Technology, Inc.

Nds Corporation

Alex Ashley

Trevor Smith

Simon John Parnall

Pete Rai

James Geoffrey Walker

Ray Taylor

Laurent Bertrand

James Nord

Kevin A Murray

A method and apparatus for dynamically constructing a broadcast multiplex are described. The method includes: receiving metadata associated with a first plurality of events on a plurality of source channels, the metadata including, at least, scheduling metadata; determining, on the basis of a rule-set applied to the metadata, whether events of the first plurality of events are to be included in the multiplex, thereby producing a second plurality of events to be included in the multiplex; for each one event of the second plurality of events, assigning a multiplex priority to the one event, the multiplex priority being a priority the one event is to be assigned in the multiplex in case the one event contends for space in the multiplex with a second event of the second plurality of events; copying events from the second plurality of events into the multiplex in dependence on the multiplex priorities of events in the second plurality of events; and broadcasting the multiplex. Related systems, apparatus, and methods are also described.

Dynamically constructing a broadcast multiplex

Delivering an audio video asset in a way that makes best use of different delivery mechanisms available.

Delivering an audio video asset

A method and system for broadcasting content, is described, the method and system facilitating simultaneous recording of multiple programs on a digital video recorder (DVR), the method and system including providing a plurality of content items, dividing each one of the plurality of content items into a multiplicity of chunks, each one of the chunks including at least one reference frame, for each one of the chunks determining a location of each reference frame included in the chunk, creating a chunk index of locations of each reference frame included in the chunk, creating a chunk file including the chunk and the chunk index, and inserting the chunk file in a data stream, such that no chunk file including a chunk from a particular content item is adjacent to a second chunk file including a chunk from the same particular content item, and broadcasting using a transmission bitrate greater than the bitrate of the data stream in a single channel in a multiplexed broadcast service, wherein the chunks files in the data stream are transmitted sequentially. Related systems, apparatus, and methods are also described.

Method and system for simultaneous recording of multiple programs on a DVR

In a system comprising a first access point serving a first wireless network; and a neighboring access point serving a neighboring wireless network having coverage overlapping with the first wireless network, where the first access point and the neighboring access point transmit beacon messages at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods, a method of operating the system is disclosed, the method comprising: the first access point sending a first offer to the neighboring access point, the first offer offering a period of silent time to the neighboring access point during which period of silent time the first access point silences the first wireless network, the period of silent time being independent of the beacon times and the beacon periods.

Wireless networking system and method

A method of delivering an audio video asset is described. The method includes: receiving an order specifying an audio video asset to be delivered and a delivery destination for the audio video asset, wherein a delivery destination represents one or more physical delivery recipients; determining delivery paths representing different delivery technologies that could be used to deliver the audio video asset to the delivery destination; retrieving a set of path capacity timelines for the delivery paths, wherein path capacity timelines in the set of path capacity timelines each model a quantity of available capacity varying over time; processing the path capacity timelines to yield delivery path capacities; applying an allocation algorithm to the delivery path capacities to yield candidate delivery allocations, wherein candidate delivery allocations each includes one or more time periods during which one or more time periods a defined quantity of capacity can be allocated for delivery of the audio video asset; applying a cost function to the candidate delivery allocations to yield cost values, wherein the cost values each represent a cost of delivering the audio video asset according to the candidate delivery allocations; calculating scores for the candidate delivery allocations in dependence on a cost value for that candidate delivery allocation and one or more other objectives; selecting a candidate delivery allocation having a lowest score to yield a selected candidate delivery allocation; and delivering the audio video asset according to the selected candidate delivery allocation. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Growing community of inventors

Redhill, United Kingdom

Alex Ashley