General Instrument Corporation

Arris Enterprises LLC

Google Inc.

Arris Technology, Inc.

Robert Mack

Lawrence D Vince

Steven J Moscirella

Christopher Poli

Niranjan R Samant

Arthur P Jost

Roger D Gahman

Michael Labouliere

Shlomo Ovadia

Albert Fitzgerald Elcock

Erik John Elstermann

Glen Peter Goffin, Ii

Brian James Tarbox

David M Bjordammen

Erik C Metz

Christopher W Brown

Thomas J Doblmaier

David H Brouda

David Brouda

Dave A Romrell

Ross A Osborn

Scott Randell

Charles A Zimmerman

Joseph M Amorese

Methods and systems of narrowcasting to a service group having one or more one-way set top boxes are shown and disclosed. The method may include receiving encrypted single program transport streams (SPTSs) from an encryptor, and receiving one or more session control signals for the SPTSs from a switched digital video (SDV) control system. The method may additionally include receiving service information (SI) packet identifiers (PIDs) for the SPTSs from a conditional access (CA) system, and updating the SI PIDs based on the one or more session control signals. The method may further include converting the SPTSs to narrowcast multiprogram transport streams (MPTSs) based on the one or more session control signals, and transmitting the narrowcast MPTSs and the updated SI PIDs to a plurality of edge quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) devices.

Narrowcasting to one-way set top boxes

Methods and systems for HLS Component Insertion in Media Manifests

Systems and methods to signal changes in HLS content constructs via the media playlist

In one embodiment, a method receives a network topology of a distributed access architecture and a legacy video network. Video streams include characteristics that are associated with delivery via the legacy video network. The method selects a set of anchor points for a remote physical device in the distributed access architecture where the set of anchor points are associated with a geographic location of the remote physical device. A set of attribute labels are selected for the set of anchor points where the set of attribute labels associated with characteristics of the video streams. The method then generates a definition of video streams based on the anchor points and the attribute labels for a remote physical device configuration and generates the remote physical device configuration for video. The remote physical device configuration is used to provide the video streams to the remote physical device.

Legacy video network configuration in a distributed access architecture

The system may include a headend and/or a hub that includes a processor that provides signals to consumer premises devices. The headend and/or the hub is configured with a headend configuration table defining broadcast video services for a desired distribution of broadcast video services, where configurating the headend configuration table is performed based upon data from a digital video configuration service that is independent of the broadcast video services.

Session control of broadcast video services for DAA and non-DAA automation

Creating a filtered adaptive streaming playlist in a content delivery network. The playlist is for delivery of a plurality of chunks of stored video content to a streaming client device. The filtering is based on a determination of whether information associated with each chunk is in compliance with a personalized rule set associated with the streaming client device.

Filtering content for adaptive streaming

A method and apparatus for streaming Over-the-Top (OTT) content on a network to subscribers is described. A digital video transport stream of an item of the OTT content is obtained via unicast streaming methods of a resolution and bit rate selected from an available set of different resolutions and bit rates for the digital video transport stream. The digital video transport stream of the selected resolution and bit rate is transmitted in the form of an IP multicast over the network to subscribers. Bandwidth utilization of the network is monitored so that switching of the bit rate to a different bit rate for the digital video transport stream can be controlled to provide adaptive rate control of the IP multicast.

Method and apparatus for network based adaptive streaming

Systems and methods for blackout management in media distribution systems may include a central data center in a service provider's domain. The central data server may coordinate with a blackout manager that implements control features for blackout. In contrast to (or to supplement) blackout control solutions that require integrated receiver decoders (IRD)s to be physically installed at each of the regional headends in the service provider network, the blackout manager may provide three functions: 1) a Virtual IRD (VIRD) function 2) access control functions via access control component, and 3) VIRD-to-EndPoint mapping function in the linkage manager.

Extending blackout control

A method of provisioning a set-top box (STB) with a provisioning server is disclosed. In the method, a provisioning request is received from a STB, where the provisioning request includes a provisioning stream identifier, an authorization server identifier, and a STB address. The provisioning server requests a provisioning system generate a configuration for the STB, where the configuration includes a channel map and basic code. The provisioning server receives the configuration from the provisioning system. The provisioning server prepares provisioning information, including the configuration for the STB and sends the provisioning information to the STB using the identifier for the STB.

Provisioning a set-top box

A method and apparatus for providing seamless failover to a redundant stream at an edge device is disclosed. A plurality of identical streams are received via a plurality of paths at a plurality of synchronization buffers. Each synchronization buffer receives one of the plurality of identical streams from a corresponding path of the plurality of paths. The plurality of streams are synchronized. A composite stream is generated from the plurality of identical streams according to a packet selection process.

Method and apparatus for glitchless failover to redundant stream

A media content broadcast blackout control method, comprising receiving a retune message requesting a blackout of a primary media content broadcast in specific regions, generating a playlist for each region comprising a content key wrapped in a region-specific media key, wherein the content key in the playlists for regions that are not subject to the blackout is configured to access the primary media content broadcast, and the content key in the playlists for regions that are subject to the blackout is configured to access an alternate media content broadcast, providing the playlists to client devices within each region, providing the primary media content broadcast to client devices whose region-specific media key unwraps the content key for the primary media content broadcast, and providing the alternate media content broadcast to client devices whose region-specific media key unwraps the content key for the alternate primary media content broadcast.

Method for controlling and implementing blackout in IPTV networks

A method for delivering encrypted content to a subscriber terminal on-demand through a communication network is provided. The method begins when SRM receives a request for content from the subscriber terminal. In response to the request, the SRM directs a video server to transmit the content as an unencrypted transport stream to an encryptor. The packets in the unencrypted transport stream include a header with a destination address associated with the subscriber terminal. The encryptor encrypts the content in the unencrypted transport stream to generate an encrypted transport stream. The encryptor also inserts in the packet headers of the packets in the encrypted transport stream the destination address associated with the subscriber terminal obtained from the packet headers in the unencrypted transport stream. Finally, the encrypted transport stream is transmitted to the subscriber terminal over the communication network.

Method and apparatus for delivering encrypted on-demand content without use of an application defined protocol

A system (), method () and apparatus () are provided for provisioning a multicast stream, such as an IP multicast stream, in a network. The system includes a first tier (), such as a national backbone, with a first Multicast Address Discovery (MCAD) directory (), and at least one second tier having a headend, such as a regional headend (), with a second MCAD directory (). The system () includes a tiered MCAD directory network that allows the assignment of multicast addresses to multicast streams received from an upper tier MCAD directory. The tiered MCAD directory structure allows for requesting and storing stream descriptors and delivering stream descriptors on-demand to MCAD-enabled devices throughout the system. The system () also allows for stream provisioning maintenance and validation at lower tier headends via MCAD-enabled device queries or re-queries of upper tier MCAD directories.

Growing community of inventors

Collegeville, PA, United States of America

Robert Mack