Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Mats Cedervall

Erik Bengt Dahlman

Jan Erik Lindquist

Andrew Mallinson

Patrik Nils Lundqvist

Hans Byström

Ari Kangas

Karim Jamal

Nilo Mitra

Joakim Sorelius

Niklas Fondberg

Sven Fischer

Bo Göransson

Erik G Larsson

Robert Bengt Skog

Torbjörn Einarsson

Jonas B Karlsson

Justus Petersson

Michael Huber

Bo Åström

Johan Nyström

Peter Hans Edlund

Bo Arne Astrom

Johan Nystr&ouml;m

Johan Kwarnmark

Henric Axelsson

Erik Bengt Lennart Dahlman

Thomas Lundqvist

Johan Jobėr

Bo G&ouml;ransson

Alex Jamal

Peter Edlund

Patrik Lindqvist

A session management involves registering at least one IPTV application in a registration table so that the registration table includes at least a respective identifier of the IPTV applications. The IPTV applications are invokable at a set top box and can be so-called embedded applications and/or browser-based applications. An event requiring the invocation of an IPTV application at the set top box is detected and triggers a look-up in the registration table. The registration table is thus used as source to indicate those IPTV applications that are potentially available and can be launched at the set top box. One of the registered applications is launched for the purpose of handling the detected event.

IPTV session management

Methods and apparatus for enabling upgrading of a television (TV) device that is connectable to an internet protocol TV (IPTV) system including an operator system and a TV manufacturer system are described. The upgrading is based on a token object and verifies a requested upgrading of the TV device. A token object is generated at the TV manufacturer system in response to receiving a request for upgrading from the TV device, and delivered to the TV device, thus enabling the TV device to complete the requested upgrading process due to possessing a valid token. A TV device, an operator system, and a TV manufacturer system adapted to execute the suggested methods are also provided.

IPTV devices and methods adapted for such devices

A method and an IPTV server () for enabling playout of one or more media objects for a subscriber. A current connection state and capabilities are maintained in the IPTV server for a set of devices () associated to the subscriber. The IPTV server further sends () a list of the devices to a first device (), comprising current connection states of the devices. When the IPTV server receives from the first device a first indication () indicating a wanted media object and a second indication () indicating a selected second device (), the IPTV server sends () a download instruction with a media reference to the selected second device. The download instruction instructs the second device to download and prebuffer () data of at least an opening part of the wanted media object based on the media reference. Thereby, a user can start playout of the wanted media object on the second device immediately without having to wait for session setup and downloading of enough data for playout.

Method and IPTV server for enabling playout of one or more media objects

A multimedia provider multicasts a main multimedia stream comprising a mixture of intra and inter frames and multicasts an associated auxiliary stream comprising intra frames. At least a portion of the intra frames in the auxiliary stream are generated based on same multimedia data as at least a portion of the inter frames of the main stream. The provider also transmits a stream information channel comprising information descriptive of time instances of intra frames in the main and auxiliary streams. This information allows a set top box to selectively connect, in connection with session set-up and channel switch, to the main or auxiliary stream to receive an intra frame with as a low delay as possible.

Multi-media management

A method for re-transmitting missing packets in an improved manner in association with transmitting an MPEG transport stream between a client and a server of a communication network is provided. New type of customized control packets are introduced which are periodically embedded into the transport stream at the server from which the MPEG transport stream is distributed, wherein each of the embedded control packets is provided with package identification data. A client receiving the MPEG transport stream, including the embedded customized control packets, will, on the basis of the package identification data obtained from a customized control packet be able to identify each of n packets which were inserted by the server into the transport stream subsequent to the respective customized control packet.

Methods, a client and a server for handling an MPEG transport stream

Methods and arrangements for setting up a policy for downloading of IPTV media content from a Content Server () to a User Equipment (), and/or for uploading media content from a User Equipment to a Content Server. The policy is typically a bandwidth reservation, and the type of content download/upload will be included in an initial request from the User Equipment, e.g. in an SDP Offer, sent to an IPTV controlling node ().

Policies for content downloading and content uploading

An object with embodiments of the present invention is to achieve a solution for fast channel change that improves bandwidth utilization, wherein the fast channel change is accomplished by initiating a unicast stream until a multicast stream can provide the desired media. The bandwidth utilization is achieved by delaying the multicast session and by terminating the unicast session at the latest when the multicast session starts. The delay of the multicast session is dependent on the network latency. Latency in this context refers to the time passed from when the client sends an IGMP JOIN message until it receives the first packet of the multicast stream.

Method and server for fast channel change in unicast-multicast IPTV networks

A method for providing switching of a media session transmitted from a content server to a user equipment from a multicast to a unicast bearer. A preparation trigger recognised by the user equipment triggers a preparation phase wherein an application server prepares for an upcoming switch by re-configuring the media session and by providing the re-configuration data to the user equipment. Subsequent to the preparation phase, a second trigger triggers a release phase, wherein the multicast bearer is released, and the media session is resumed by the unicast bearer.

Method and equipment for providing unicast preparation for IPTV

It is presented a method executed in a streaming media receiver, the streaming media receiver comprising native software and web software for executing a web application. The method comprising the steps of: receiving, in an active web application running in the web software, a message indicating that the streaming media receiver is to be put in a passive standby mode; sending, from the active web application, a message to the native software indicating when the active web application is to be reinstated; setting, from the native software, a timer with the time of when the web application is to be reinstated; setting the streaming media receiver in a passive standby mode; receiving, in the native software, a signal that the timer has expired; setting the streaming media receiver in an active standby mode; and sending, from the native software, a message to the web application that the timer has expired.

Method, apparatus and computer program product for standby handling in a streaming media receiver

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Härnösand, Sweden

Mats Cedervall