Activevideo Networks, Inc.

Csc Holdings, LLC

Lena Pavlovskaia

Airan Landau

Donald F Gordon

Brian Sweeney

Lawrence Robert Martell

Andrey Marsavin

Joshua Dahlby

Andreas Lennartsson

James A Blackley

Robert B Sigmon, Jr

Edward Anthony Ludvig

Gerrit Hiddink

Ronald Alexander Brockmann

Anuj Dev

Charles Lawrence

Mark Tom

Robert Johnson

Greg Brown

Natalie Regis

Amos Kohn

Glenn M Cloud

Charlie Lawrence

Robert B Sigmon

A method, system, and computer program product for Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal that couples a first device behind a NAT device to a second device is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a first request from the first device to open a connection with the second device, receiving a second request from the second device to open a connection with the first device, where the second request includes the connection address of the second device, and sending the connection address of the second device to the first device which allows the first device to connect to the second device.

Media relay

A method, system and computer program product for displaying media is provided herein. The method includes the steps of receiving, at a media server, streaming media from a source device located at a first user's premises and transmitting the streaming media from the media server to a display device at the second user's premises. The media server is located remotely from both the first user's premises and the second user's premises. The first user's premises and the second user's premises may be the same. The media server may be located at a cable television headend.

A client device receives a broadcast content signal containing an interactive identifier over a managed network at a client device. The interactive identifier may be a trigger that is included in a header or embedded within the digital video data. The trigger may have a temporal component, wherein the trigger can expire after a certain period of time. In response to identification of the trigger, the client device sends a user request for interactive content over an unmanaged network. For example, the managed network may be a one-way satellite television network, IP-television network or cable television network and the unmanaged network may be the Internet. The client device switches between receiving data from the managed network to receiving data from the unmanaged network.

Providing television broadcasts over a managed network and interactive content over an unmanaged network to a client device

An MPEG object is an object-oriented data structure that may be used in the creation of interactive MPEG video stream. The MPEG object data structure includes an MPEG object interface defining data received by the MPEG object and data output by the MPEG object. The MPEG object data structure further includes either one or more MPEG video elements or an association to one or more MPEG video elements. The MPEG video elements are preferably defined as MPEG slices that include a plurality of encoded macroblocks. Additionally, the data structure may provide a method for receiving input through the MPEG object interface and in response to input from the client device outputting an MPEG video element. In certain configurations, the MPEG object contains a method that maintains state data for the MPEG object. The state data may be used to select between a plurality of MPEG elements to output. In other configurations, the MPEG object includes a method that provides for the control of streaming MPEG content from a source external to the MPEG object.

MPEG objects and systems and methods for using MPEG objects

Systems and methods are provided for reducing and controlling playback latency in an unmanaged, buffered data network. A delay cost function is determined, the function representing the effect of playback latency on end user experience. An encoder transmits audiovisual data through the network to a client device. Network latency is measured, and the delay cost function is evaluated to establish an encoding bitrate for the encoder. The encoding of the audiovisual data is altered in response to dynamic network conditions, thereby controlling end-to-end playback latency of the system, which is represented by the playout length of data buffered between the encoder and the client device.

Reduction of latency in video distribution networks using adaptive bit rates

A system and method are provided for processing video content, associated with a source image, for display on a television. The source image, such as a web page, and its associated (e.g., linked) video content are retrieved and separately encoded. The encoded source image and the encoded video content are composited together to form a sequence of encoded video frames, where a frame type of the video content is used to determine a type of a composited frame. For example, if all displayed frames of the video content are MPEG I-frames, then the composited frame also may be an I-frame. However, if any displayed frame of video content is an MPEG P-frame or B-frame, then the composited frame may be a P-frame.

System and method for providing video content associated with a source image to a television in a communication network

A system for creating composite encoded video from two or more encoded video sources in the encoded domain. In response to user input, a markup language-based graphical layout is retrieved. The graphical layout includes frame locations within a composite frame for at least a first encoded source and a second encoded source. The system either retrieves or receives the first and second encoded sources. The sources include block-based transform encoded data. The system also includes a stitcher module for stitching together the first encoded source and the second encoded source according to the frame locations of the graphical layout to form an encoded frame. The system outputs an encoded video stream that is transmitted to a client device associated with the user. In response to further user input, the system updates the state of an object model and replaces all or a portion of one or more frames of the encoded video stream. The system may be used with MPEG encoded video.

Interactive encoded content system including object models for viewing on a remote device

Systems and methods are presented that permit an individual to share digital video between video devices using a cable television system. A first video device streams digital video to a cable headend, which transcodes it and stitches it with other video content, such as a menuing system. The headend then transmits the digital video to a second video device, such as a set top box, for display. The data stream may be controlled using a standard set top box remote control, and the system may be used without purchasing additional hardware or software, or configuring a wireless local area network.

Streaming digital video between video devices using a cable television system

A method for regulating bandwidth usage in an output data stream transmitted on an analog channel from a cable head end. The output data stream comprises a plurality of input information content signals. For each input information content signal, a series of images are captured, compressed and formed into an input digital data stream. The bandwidth of each input digital data stream is regulated by associating the stream with a current bit allocation total. During each frame time: a bit allocation increment is added to the current bit allocation total for each input digital data stream. When a data packet to be transmitted for an input digital data stream is received by the multiplexer, the data packet is stored. When the number of bits in the stored data packet is not more than the current bit allocation total for the input digital data stream, the multiplexer forwards the stored data packet for transmission in the output data stream on the analog channel and decrements the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream by the number of bits in the stored data packet. In this way, no individual input channel takes more than its share of the bandwidth on the output stream on the analog channel.

Method for bandwidth regulation on a cable television system channel

A system and method for providing video content associated with a source image to a television that is part of a communication network is provided. At least a portion of the source image and the video content are displayed on the television. A request at a content distribution platform in the communication network is received for display of the source image from a communication device associated with the television. In certain embodiments, the communication network is cable television network. In other embodiments, the communication network may be a television over IP network. The requested source image is retrieved by the content distribution platform. The source image is displayed on a user's television, and the user may desire to have video content associated with a link displayed on the user's television. A request for video content associated with the link is then received. The content distribution platform then retrieves the video content that is associated with the link. The video content is pre-encoded and may be, for example, an MPEG data file. The content distribution platform then composites the video content and at least a portion of the source image together. The data of the source image and the pre-encoded video content form a video stream that can be decoded by a decoder associated with the television. The composited video stream is then sent through the communication network to the communication device where it is decoded and displayed on the user's television. In certain embodiments, the source image is a web page.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Lena Pavlovskaia