Agere Systems Inc.

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Alcatel Lucent

Lesley Jen-Yuan Wu

Charles Albert Webb, Iii

Himanshu Mahendra Thaker

Michael Samuel Shaffer

Kim N Matthews

Hong Jiang

Mohammad Shafiul Mobin

Xiaoyun May Wu

Yi-Jen Chiu

John P Hearn

Paul Albin Wilford

Nevin R Jones

Kyeong-Ho Yang

Technology which facilitates a reduction in time of the presentation of video content after a viewer changes channels is described. Frames of a video stream associated with a channel are analyzed to identify locations of access points in the video stream prior to relaying the video stream to a presentation device. Information indicating the locations of access points is stored. The video stream is then time shifted on a continuous basis and is transmitted to the presentation device which made the request for as long as the presentation device remains tuned to the channel corresponding to the request. A first available frame on or before an access point of the time shifted video stream is selected based on the stored information, which is used to commence the transmission of the time shifted video to the presentation device, which facilitates a more immediate presentation of video content.

Reducing channel change delays

A communications system includes a physical layer device (PLD) and a logical link device (LLD), each having respective send and receive interfaces being substantially identical to define symmetrical interfaces for the system. Accordingly, design and manufacturing is simplified compared to conventional systems. In addition, advantages are also provided in terms of loopback capability and packaging options. The PLD comprises a PLD send interface including PLD parallel information outputs, and a PLD receive interface including PLD parallel information inputs. Similarly, the LLD comprises an LLD receive interface including LLD parallel information inputs, and an LLD send interface including LLD parallel information outputs. Parallel communications channels connect the PLD information outputs to respective LLD information inputs, and connect the LLD information outputs to respective PLD information inputs. The PLD send interface and the LLD send interface are substantially identical, and the PLD receive interface and the LLD receive interface are substantially identical to thereby define the symmetrical interfaces for the system. In view of the symmetrical interfaces, the PLD and the LLD may operate in a push-push configuration. Deskewing features are also provided.

Communications system with symmetrical interfaces and associated methods

An apparatus and method for deinterlacing video images with improved slope detection is described. In one exemplary implementation, the apparatus includes an input buffer, a processor, and an output buffer. The input buffer is configured to receive a video stream in an interlaced format. The processor is configured to convert the video stream from the interlaced format to a progressive format. This conversion process includes calculating the slope for a diagonal line of an image at a pixel to-be-interpolated (i.e., at a missing pixel) using a slope protection operation to increase the accuracy of the slope calculation. The output buffer is then configured to transmit the video stream in the progressive format.

Deinterlacing video images with slope detection

An apparatus and method for deinterlacing video images is described. In one exemplary implementation, the apparatus receives a video stream in an interlaced format. The apparatus includes a processing system configured to determine whether or not the video stream originated from a progressive format. Based on that determination, the processing system selects one of two modes of operation to deinterlace the video stream: an interpolation mode of operation or a non-interpolation mode of operation.

Apparatus and method for deinterlacing video images

A communications system comprises a physical layer device (PLD) including a PLD send interface which, in turn, includes PLD parallel information outputs and at least one PLD control output. The system also includes a logical link device (LLD) which comprises an LLD receive interface which, in turn, includes LLD parallel information inputs and at least one LLD control input. First parallel communications channels connect the PLD information outputs to respective LLD information inputs, and at least one second communications channel connects the at least one PLD control output to the at least one LLD control input so that control signals are sent from the PLD to the LLD out-of-band from information signals. Accordingly, control speed is enhanced, and information throughput efficiency is not compromised. The PLD may further include a PLD receive interface including PLD parallel information inputs and at least one PLD control input, and the LLD may further comprise an LLD send interface including LLD parallel information outputs and at least one LLD control output. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the PLD and LLD are operable in a push-push configuration. Another advantageous feature of the invention is that the interfaces may be symmetric.

Communications system and associated methods with out-of-band control

A communications system includes N parallel communications channels connecting first and second devices. The N channels may include N&minus;1 channels for carrying information symbols, and an Nth channel for facilitating deskewing and word framing. The first device may include an alignment symbol generator for generating alignment symbols on the Nth channel, and a word framing code generator for generating word framing codes on the Nth channel. The second device may include a deskewer for aligning received information symbols based upon the alignment symbols, and a word framer for determining word framing based upon the word framing codes. The word frame code generator in the first device or transmitter, and the word framer in the second device or receiver provide the desired feature of knowledge of where each word starts or begins. The start of each word may be determined in terms of a time and a corresponding one of the N&minus;1 channels where the word starts. The word framing code generator may generate word framing codes comprising at least one predetermined word framing code. Alternately, the word framing code generator may generate word framing codes including at least one changeable word framing code based upon information symbols.

Communications system and associated deskewing and word framing methods

A communications system includes first and second devices connected by parallel communications channels. The first device preferably comprises a string-based framing coder for determining and appending a string-based framing code to each information symbol string of information symbol strings to be transmitted in parallel over respective parallel communications channels. Each string-based framing code is preferably based upon at least some of the information symbols in the respective information symbol string. In addition, the second device preferably includes a deskewer for aligning received parallel information symbol strings based upon the string-based framing codes. In other words, the string-based framing codes and their use to align received information symbol strings permit the information symbol to be transmitted at high rates and over relatively long distances and thereby be subject skew. The information symbols may be binary bits. The string-based coder may comprise a cyclic redundancy checking (CRC) coder for determining and appending CRC codes to respective information bit strings. Thus, the deskewer may comprise a CRC framer for framing the information bit strings based upon the CRC codes.

Communications system and associated deskewing methods

A communications system includes a first device comprising a plurality of electrical-to-transmission medium converters, and a second device comprising a plurality of transmission medium-to-electrical converters to be connected to respective ones of the electrical-to-transmission medium converters via at least one transmission medium and defining parallel communications channels between the first and second devices, and wherein deskewing is provided. More particularly, the first device may include a string-based framing coder for determining and appending a string-based framing code to each information symbol string of information symbol strings to be transmitted in parallel over respective parallel communications channels. Each string-based framing code is based upon at least some of the information symbols in the respective information symbol string. The second device preferably comprises a deskewer for aligning received information symbol strings based upon the string-based framing codes. The symbols may be binary bits, and the string-based codes may be CRC codes.

Communications system including lower rate parallel electronics with skew compensation and associated methods

A method of encoding a video sequence including a sequence of video images includes comparing elements of a portion of a first video image with elements of a portion of a second video image to generate respective intensity difference values for the element comparisons. Then, a first value is assigned to the intensity difference values that are at least above a visually perceptible threshold value and a second value is assigned to the intensity difference values that are not at least above the visually perceptible threshold value. Next, the method includes dividing the portion of the first video image into sub-portions and summing the first and second values associated with each corresponding sub-portion to generate respective sums. If a respective sum is at least greater than a decision value, a variable associated with that sub-portion is set to a first value. If a respective sum is not at least greater than the decision value, the variable associated with that sub-portion is set to a second value. The values associated with the variables are then added. Depending on the result of the addition, the portion of the first video image is either motion compensated or not.

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Parsippany, NJ, United States of America

Lesley Jen-Yuan Wu