Thomson Licensing

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Other

Thomas Licensing

John William Richardson

Kumar Ramaswamy

Jens Cahnbley

Thomas Anthony Stahl

John S Richardson

Guillaume Bichot

Thomas Edward Horlander

Charles Chuanming Wang

Robert J Kniskern

Terry Wayne Lockridge

David Emery Virag

Robert Andrew Rhodes

Richard Edwin Goedeken

Arthur Dean Haldeman

There are provided apparatus and methods for parallelizing an encoding process across multiple processors. An apparatus includes a computing resource balancer and a splitter. The computing resource balancer is for assigning encoder instances to respective ones of the multiple processors based on at least one of thread affinity and process affinity. The splitter is for temporally dividing an incoming video sequence into discrete GOPs such that each of the encoder instances is capable of encoding the incoming video sequence in parallel so that each of the discrete GOPs is encoded on a respective one of the multiple processors.

Method and apparatus for real time parallel encoding

In a network having routing elements for routing information through the network, there is provided a method for providing an ability to set up a Quality of Service contract for a videoconference session between clients. A reservation is received for a time period for the videoconference session. Configuration information, for filtering real-time traffic corresponding to the videoconference session from other traffic traversing the network, is sent to at least one of the routing elements after the time period is reserved.

Quality of service setup on a time reservation basis

There are provided methods and apparatus for audio and video synchronization timestamp rollover correction. A synchronization apparatus includes a synchronizer for providing synchronization information for synchronizing a video stream with an audio stream during any point in a broadcast thereof irrespective of whether the video stream and the audio stream have different rollover points for their respective timestamps. The synchronization information is encoded for an out of band transmission with respect to the broadcast of the audio and video streams.

Method and apparatus for audio and video synchronization timestamp rollover correction

There is provided a method for employing Parameter Set information corresponding to an Advanced Video Coding (AVC) file. The method includes the step of embedding the Parameter Set information into a Hint Track of the AVC file.

Storage of advanced video coding (AVC) parameter sets in AVC file format

An apparatus and method is disclosed in which a buffer receives a first content stream carrying a content channel signal. The first content stream carries the content channel signal at a rate substantially greater than the streaming content playout rate, for initially loading the buffer. The buffer switches its reception of the content channel signal from the first content stream to a second content stream. The second content stream is at a rate substantially the same as the streaming content playout rate. Generally, this switch occurs when some predefined threshold of the content channel signal is buffered.

Method and apparatus for changing received streaming content channels

A Video Server (VS) encodes a video stream according to the values of parameters and transmits the video stream over a Network to a Video Client (VC) that decodes the received video stream for presentation to a user. As the video stream is being received, (VCcontinually gathers data regarding at least the condition of Network sends this data to (VS). (VS) modifies the values of the parameters based on the data received from (VC), which in turn modifies the encoding of the video stream.

System and method for modifying a video stream based on a client or network environment

A method that provides for multicast delivery of information in a DSL network includes creating transmission paths between a single source port and multiple destination ports in a DSL network; receiving information at the source port; determining which of the destination ports is to receive the information; and distributing the information from the source port to selective ones of the destination ports based on the prior referencing step. A DSL system for providing multicast delivery of information includes an ATM network layer for sending information, a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) coupled to the ATM network layer for receiving the information, and a network control system for controlling selective multiplexing of the information through the digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).

ATM multicasting for delivering information over a network

A method for performing a handover of a mobile terminal between a 3G cell and a WLAN cell when the mobile terminal moves within a 3G cell into the coverage area of the WLAN cell. The present invention proposes that the handover be performed when there are no active calls. If there are ongoing calls, method proposes to wait until the calls are terminated before the handover is performed. After the ongoing calls are terminated, the handover is performed by disassociating from the radio access network of the 3G cell and associating with the access point of the WLAN, using the relatively straightforward disassociation and association procedures. The handover method according to the present invention obviates the need for complex and expensive protocols to ensure a seamless and error free handover of calls when moving from the coverage of the 3G cell to the coverage of the WLAN cell. This method can be used with either the loose coupling arrangement or the tight coupling arrangement.

Method and apparatus for handing off a mobile terminal between a mobile network and a wireless LAN

A method for providing a private conversation channel in a videoconference session between at least three participants includes the steps of providing an ability to receive a private acceptance in response to the private invitation and providing an ability to exclude non-parties to the private conversation from receiving private messages corresponding to the private conversation.

Method and system for providing a private conversation channel in a video conference system

An apparatus and a method for managing service traffic in a communications network capable of providing voice, data, and A/V services to a plurality of customers. In particular, the present invention is a digital subscriber line system (DSL), preferably based on ADSL, having a plurality of customer premise equipment (CPEs) coupled to voice, data and A/V services via network system equipment comprising a DSLAM, an ATM switch and a DSL terminator for connecting the system to the internet. The invention provides a network control system that includes a plurality of databases including a provisioning database and a real time database indicative of the actual bandwidth being utilized. A service control processor coupled to the plurality of databases and the network system equipment periodically polls the databases to determine the amount of bandwidth being used, and if the usage exceeds a predetermined level, throttles the internet data entering the system through the DSL terminator and/or the user data entering the system through the CPEs. Preferrably, throttling is performed using a leaky-bucket algorithm. By dynamically managing the traffic flow in the network, the present invention reduces the potential for dropped calls and similar service restrictions.

Dynamic traffic bandwidth management system and method for a communication network

An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) digital document delivery system is provided. A customer premise unit is configured to permit a customer to order and receive a data stream. A buffer is coupled to the customer premise unit to store the data stream before transmitting the data stream to a customer. A server includes digital documents stored thereon for delivery to customers through a switched ATM network. A control mechanism is employed to control a data rate of the data stream between the server and the buffer to ensure maintenance of a steady data stream from the customer premise unit to a customer during a loss of a physical layer between the server and the customer premise unit.

Physical layer recovery in a streaming data delivery system

A method and an apparatus using a system level clocking scheme to remove jitter from multi-media packets distributed over an asynchronous network, in particular an asynchronous network. The present invention overcomes the problems associated with jitter introduced in an asynchronous network by using various time stamps to synchronize a client device clock to a headend clock and to control the data flow in the client device to match the rate that the data is received by a broadband receiver coupled to the headend. A first time stamp is prepended to the transport packets when the packets are received from the headend. A second time stamp is placed in the data frame when the data frame is placed on the network. A third time stamp is placed in the data frame when the data frame is received from the network. The second and third time stamps are used for synchronizing the client clock to the server clock, which is in turn frequency locked to the headend clock. The first time stamp is used for data flow control wherein the client controls the data flow to correspond to the rate the data is received at the server.

Multi-media jitter removal in an asynchronous digital home network

System and method for providing a messaging service, such as a voice mail service over a digital subscriber loop are presented. An incoming call is first routed to a service processor. The incoming call is to be delivered over the digital subscriber loop to a receiving device. A determination is made as to whether or not the incoming call is answered by the receiving device. The incoming call is routed to a message processor if the incoming call is not answered by the receiving device. The incoming call is stored at the message processor for later retrieval.

Messaging services for digital subscriber loop

A system and method for providing a voice and/or data service is thus presented, comprising the following. A connection request is detected. The connection request is formatted into a data cell. The data cell is sent to a service control point. The service control point determines in real time whether a connection to public switch network is available. If the connection to a public switch network is available, the requested connection is set up as a virtual circuit connection to the public switch network.

System and method for providing voice and/or data services

There is provided a method for remote services control in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)/Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service network. The ATM/DSL service network includes an ATM/DSL head-end system (NCS) and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE). The ATM/DSL head-end system includes a network control system (NCS). The CPE includes at least one computer. The method includes the step of sending an Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulated signal from the at least one computer, in response to an execution of a user command for the remote services control on the at least one computer. The IP encapsulated signal includes an IP address of a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) web server that is coupled to the NCS. The IP encapsulated signal is received for processing by the HTTP server. The user command is communicated to the NCS, by the HTTP web server.

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Hamilton, NJ, United States of America

John William Richardson