3Com Corporation

Cisco Technology, Inc.

U.S. Ethernet Innovations, LLC

Other

3 Com Corporation

Glenn William Connery

Richard S Reid

W Paul Sherer

Paul William Sherer

Niles E Strohl

Andrew Palfreyman

James P Rivers

Richard J Hausman

Cynthia Zikmund

William Paul Sherer

Kirk Blattman

John Pickens

Claude G Hayek

Paul J Sidenblad

Edmund C Chen

Gary Michael Jaszewski

Hoi-tauw Jozef Chou

James S Binder

Robert Drew Major

David R Brown

Danny M Nessett

Howard Rollin Davis

Scott A Emery

Daniel Michael Kiewlich

Patricia C Cross

Neeraj Kumar Sharma

William C VerSteeg

Chi-Lie Wang

Howard F Davis

James Ruane

Anil Thomas

Eric Roger Davis

Mel J Oyler

RamKrishna Vepa

Nathaniel H Henderson

Hoi-Tauw Chou

Robert Reissfelder

John J Platko

Christopher J Duguay

Drew Major

Kurt Kollmansberger

Mel Oyer

Robert Pickering

Neeraj K Sharma

Mel Oyler

Daniel Kiewlich

Alfred Palfreyman

Jozef Chou

Howard Davis

Dan Kiewlich

A method and system for conditioning a media stream for splicing are disclosed. In an embodiment, content-specific splice points, which correspond to a possible playout splice point within an original media stream, are identified for both audio and video components of the original media stream. Once the audio bitstream and video bitstream splice points are identified, the audio bitstream in the vicinity of the audio bitstream splice point is packetized into IP packets containing only audio with one of the audio-containing IP packets having an IP packet boundary that corresponds to the audio bitstream splice point and the video bitstream in the vicinity of the video bitstream splice point is packetized into IP packets containing only video with one of the video-containing IP packets having an IP packet boundary that corresponds to the video bitstream splice point. The conditioned original media stream is then transmitted downstream to a splicer.

IP-based stream splicing with content-specific splice points

In one embodiment an apparatus for splicing an ad into a data stream includes an ad segmenter, an ad variant generator coupled to the ad segmenter, and an ad variant selector coupled to the ad variant generator. The ad segmenter designates end portions, including beginning and ending portions, of the ad and designates an intermediate portion between the end portions. The ad variant generator generates a plurality of variants of at least one end portion. Each variant corresponds to a unique bit-rate. The ad variant selector selects at least one variant for splicing into the data stream based on a buffer level of a data stream buffer.

Ad splicing using re-quantization variants

In one embodiment, a network device analyzes an encoded stream to identify a timing value included in a packet before a splice point. Next, the device determines a difference between identified timing value and a timing value included in a packet of the encoded segment to be spliced. In conjunction with splicing, the network device formats timing values of packets according to the determined difference, which improves play out of the spliced stream.

Restamping transport streams to avoid vertical rolls

A technique for managing the streaming of digital video content to multiple clients involves identifying an attribute of a content element that is streamed to a client and selecting a protection mechanism for the content element as a function of the attribute, wherein the protection mechanism enables streaming of the content element to the clients in the event of a resource failure. In an example, the identified attribute is an indication of the popularity of the content element (e.g., as measured by the number of active streams), such that the protection mechanism is selected as a function of the popularity of the content element. In an embodiment, protection mechanisms that offer a higher level of protection are selected for the more popular content elements and protection mechanisms that offer a lower level of protection are selected for the less popular content elements.

Stream control failover utilizing an attribute-dependent protection mechanism

A technique for streaming digital video content to multiple clients involves establishing a logical group of IP-connected stream servers, generating state information at multiple stream servers within the logical group, sharing the state information amongst stream servers in the logical group, and using the shared state information to respond to resource failures within the logical group. By sharing state information within the logical group of stream servers, stream servers with the shared state information can quickly take over the active streams from a failed stream server within the logical group. The quick transition of responsibility from one stream server to another enables the streaming network to provide continuous streaming of digital video content to the viewer without interruption.

Stream control failover utilizing the sharing of state information within a logical group of stream servers

In one embodiment, a network device analyzes an encoded video stream using black detection before splicing video into the encoded video stream. When black data is detected, the network device determines whether insertion of a black intra frame with the spliced video will improve viewing upon decoding. The network device may also determine whether a splicing boundary indication included in the encoded video stream is accurate based on an observed transition between the detected black data and other data, and compensate the video splice accordingly.

Using black detection to improve video splicing

In a Local Area Network (LAN) system, an Ethernet adapter exchanges data with a host through programmed I/O (PIO) and FIFO buffers. The receive PIO employs a DMA ring buffer backup so incoming packets can be copied directly into host memory when the PIO FIFO buffer is full. The adapter may be programmed to generate early receive interrupts when only a portion of a packet has been received from the network, so as to decrease latency. The adapter may also be programmed to generate a second early interrupt so that the copying of a large packet to the host may overlap reception of the packet end. The adapter to begin packet transmission before the packet is completely transferred from the host to the adapter, which further reduces latency. The minimal latency of the adapter allows it to employ receive and transmit FIFO buffers which are small enough to be contained within RAM internal to an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) containing the transceiver, ethernet controller, FIFO control circuitry and the host interface as well.

Programmed I/O ethernet adapter with early interrupts for accelerating data transfer

A system and process are provided to reduce the latency associated with delivery of data for trick functions (e.g., fast-forward or rewind) in data distribution systems. In response to a request for a trick function associated with program data being streamed to a user terminal, first trick data frames for the trick function are retrieved from a first computing apparatus (e.g., a storage server) and in the meantime second trick data frames for the trick function are generated at a second computing apparatus (e.g., streaming server). Until the first trick data frames arrive from the first computing apparatus, the second computing device streams the second trick data frames to the user terminal. The second computing apparatus streams the first trick data frame to the user terminal as they arrive.

Dynamically creating trick files to hide latency in streaming networks

Black video segments in a video playlist may be minimized. Black detection may be utilized by a network device to identify true starting point and a true ending point of a video asset which includes black video segments in the playlist. Locations associated with the true starting and ending points may be recorded in metadata associated with the video asset. New black video segments may be added at the beginning and at the end of the playlist. Playback of the playlist may then be initiated to play the video asset only between the recorded location associated with the true starting point and the recorded location associated with the true ending point at the network device thereby minimizing the black video segments in the video asset.

Minimizing black video segments during ad insertion

Techniques are provided to perform seamless or non-seamless ad insertion using a low-complexity process. Delay is introduced into a transport stream to prevent decoder buffer overflow. Delay buildup in the transport stream is reduced by removing pre-identified redundant or near redundant frames. Pre-identification of frames for removal reduces the processing required at the splice points, while maintaining a minimum overall delay in the transport stream.

Optimizing ad insertion by removing low information frames

Switching a client from unicasting back to multicasting involves simultaneously providing the digital video content to the client via unicasting and multicasting until the client has buffered duplicate frames (i.e., frames that contain the same digital video content). Once the client has buffered duplicate frames, the client can transition from playing out of a buffer that holds frames received via unicasting to playing out of a buffer that holds frames received via multicasting without skipping a frame. Once the transition back to multicasting is complete, unicasting is terminated and any frames remaining in the unicast buffer are flushed.

Switching a client from unicasting to multicasting by simultaneously providing unicast and multicast streams to the client

In a digital video network that is capable of distributing digital video content to a client via multicasting and unicasting, servicing a channel change request from a client involves switching from providing the digital video content to the client via multicasting to providing the digital video content to the client via unicasting and continuing to provide digital video content to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met. Continuing to provide digital video content to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met allows the network to opportunistically switch the client from unicasting back to multicasting.

Fast channel change with conditional return to multicasting

In a Local Area Network (LAN) system, an ethernet adapter exchanges data with a host through programmed I/O (PIO) and FIFO buffers. The receive PIO employs a DMA ring buffer backup so incoming packets can be copied directly into host memory when the PIO FIFO buffer is full. The adapter may be programmed to generate early receive interrupts when only a portion of a packet has been received from the network, so as to decrease latency. The adapter may also be programmed to generate a second early interrupt so that the copying of a large packet to the host may overlap reception of the packet end. The adapter to begin packet transmission before the packet is completely transferred from the host to the adapter, which further reduces latency. The minimal latency of the adapter allows it to employ receive and transmit FIFO buffers which are small enough to be contained within RAM internal to an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) containing the transceiver, ethernet controller, FIFO control circuitry and the host interface as well.

Switching a client from unicasting back to multicasting involves accumulating enough digital video content at the client to bridge the time it takes to transition from receiving the digital video content via unicasting to receiving the digital video content via multicasting. Digital video content is accumulated at the client by temporarily increasing the stream rate of the unicast stream above the playout rate. While the digital video content is being streamed at the increased rate, the amount of digital video content stored in the client's stream buffer grows. The stream rate is held at the increased rate until the client accumulates enough frames in its buffer to be able to bridge the time it takes to transition from receiving the digital video content via unicasting to receiving the digital video content via multicasting.

Switching a client from unicasting to multicasting by increasing the unicast stream rate to the client

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Glenn William Connery