Cisco Technology, Inc.

Aurora Networks, Inc.

Goback Tv, Inc.

Synamedia Limited

John Pickens

W Paul Sherer

Glenn William Connery

Kirk Blattman

Andrew Palfreyman

William C VerSteeg

Joshua B Gahm

Paul Baran

William C Ver Steeg

Carol Etta Iturralde

Xiaomei Liu

Hoi-tauw Jozef Chou

Kapil Sharma

Michael Field

Xu Duan Lin

Alon Shlomo Bernstein

John Raymond Mick, Jr

Howard Rollin Davis

Kevin Wayne Kingdon

Gil C Cruz

Khalid Mohammed Azam

Kurt Kollmansberger

Paul Sherer

Jonathan Gahm

Jozef Chou

Howard Davis

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

Off-path admission control signaling in the presence of a network address translation (NAT) device may be provided. In response to a request for a content asset, a placeholder classifier may be created. The placeholder classifier may be used to allocate resources for providing the content asset to the client from a content server. The content server may communicate with the client, traversing the NAT device to identify a destination address and port for the client to which the content will be provided. The placeholder classifier may then be updated with the destination address and port.

IPTV off-path admission control signaling in the presence of network address translation

A technique for streaming digital video content to a client involves providing a new stream of digital video content to the client using forward error correction (FEC) for a limited initial period and then ending the use of FEC after the limited initial period has ended. In an embodiment, during the limited initial period, the digital video content is provided to the client at a rate that is slightly higher than the playout rate in order to allow a client buffer to accumulate digital video content. FEC continues to be used until the client buffer is sufficiently populated such that lost or damaged frames can be retransmitted to the client before the corresponding digital video content is needed for playout. Once the client buffer is sufficiently populated, FEC is ended and retransmission is used to maintain the quality of the streamed digital video content.

Method and system for streaming digital video content to a client in a digital video network

A technique for managing the distribution of digital video content to multiple end-user devices is disclosed. The technique involves statistically multiplexing multiple VBR encoded video streams into an access channel, such as a data over cable service interface specifications (DOCSIS) bonded group, and utilizing quality of service capabilities of an edge device, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS) or an edge quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) device, to buffer and schedule IP packets, which carry the VBR encoded video streams, so that packets are not dropped during periods of congestion. Utilizing the quality of service capabilities of an edge device makes it possible to statistically multiplex VBR encoded video streams in a narrowcast application such as Video on Demand (VOD) or Switched Digital Video (SDV) while eliminating the need for process intensive transrating/transcoding operations.

Distributing digital video content to multiple end-user devices

A technique for providing program restart functionality in a digital video network involves receiving requests from different end-user devices to restart a program and servicing the program restart requests from the different end-user devices via a single broadcast stream. In an embodiment, program restart requests that are received within an established time interval, referred to as an aggregation interval, are serviced by the same broadcast stream. Additionally, during the aggregation interval and before the program restart begins, personalized content can be provided to the end-user devices via, for example, unicasting. Once the aggregation interval is over, all of the unicast streams are switched over to the same broadcast stream and the program broadcast is restarted. In an embodiment, a switch buffer is provided just before the restarted broadcast stream in order to ensure a smooth transition from each of the multiple unicast streams to the restarted broadcast stream.

Providing program restart functionality in a digital video network

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a content receiver, a concurrent streamer coupled to the content receiver, and a protocol engine coupled to the concurrent streamer. The content receiver receives an ingest stream of media content from a media source in response to a request for the media content from a local host. The concurrent streamer sends at least a portion of a local stream of the media content to the local host concurrent with the reception of the ingest stream of the media content by the content receiver. The protocol engine sends a protocol element from the network media server to the local host. The protocol element indicates an ingest status of the ingest stream at the content receiver.

Reporting status of remote media ingest

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a program stream from a program source on a first channel. The method also includes detecting an unrecoverable error in the program stream, and receiving a standalone decodable repair stream from an error repair source on a second channel. The repair stream refers to a portion of the program stream, where the portion corresponds to the unrecoverable error. The method also includes combining the repair stream and the program stream to produce a presentable stream for user viewing.

Delivery of streams to repair errored media streams in periods of unrecoverable errors

A system for the delivery of video on demand (VOD). A wireless remote control device generates keystroke signals for controlling a TV display and has a single button for restarting a selected program at a beginning of the selected program. A head-end unit supports separate downstream virtual channels for each separate TV set connected on a common TV feeder-cable; The head-end unit locally records and stores many programs, and transmits each program using a compressed digital format. The Compressed digital format may use MPEG-2 or MPEG-4. The head-end unit has means for protecting against signal theft. A set top unit encapsulates the keystroke signals and transmits the keystroke signals via a two-way channel to the head-end unit.

Packet timing method and apparatus of a receiver system for controlling digital TV program start time

A method and system for managing media streaming between clients on a client side of a network and stream servers on a stream server side of the network, wherein communications between the client side and the stream server side require a network address translation (NAT), involves allowing the same stream server side IP address to be shared amongst multiple stream servers so that the stream servers can simultaneously use the same IP address to source different media sessions. Because the stream servers can simultaneously use the same IP address to source different media sessions, a media session can be switched from one stream server to a different stream server without triggering STUN signaling or a change in the NAT mapping.

Media streaming through a network address translation (NAT) device

In one embodiment, a method includes ingesting a program stream from a program source on a first channel. The method also includes storing the program stream, and receiving notification from a client of unrecoverable error in a stream received at the client. The unrecoverable error corresponds to at least a portion of the stored program stream. The method also includes distributing the corresponding portion of the stored program stream to the client on a second channel in response to the notification.

Delivery of streams to repair errored media streams in periods of insufficient resources

A technique for transitioning streamed digital video content between stream servers involves identifying a transition identifier that indicates a point at which streaming of the digital video content transitions from a first stream server to a second stream server and then transitioning the streaming from the first stream server the second stream server at a point in the digital video content that corresponds to the transition identifier. For example, the first stream server stops streaming the digital video content at a point in the digital video content that corresponds to the transition identifier and the second stream server starts streaming the digital video content at a point in the digital video content that corresponds to the transition identifier.

Method and system for transitioning streamed digital video content between stream servers in a digital video network

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 one embodiment, a method comprises determining ad placement times for each of a plurality of associated streams. The method also comprises determining an ad selection request time for each of a plurality of ad selection requests based on a cumulative effect of any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time as the determined ad selection time. Each of the plurality of ad selection requests corresponds to one of the plurality of ad placement times.

Architecture for scaling just-in-time placement of advertising content

In one embodiment, a method includes requesting accelerated delivery of a specified media stream. The media stream contains a plurality of video frames. The method also includes receiving a response to the accelerated delivery request. The method also includes selecting, based on the response, a media stream source. The method also includes receiving a media stream from the selected media stream source into a buffer, and decoding the received media stream from the buffer, at a selected playout rate.

Systems and methods of adaptive playout of delayed media streams

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.

Growing community of inventors

Newark, CA, United States of America

John Pickens