Getgo, Inc.

Logmein, Inc.

Logmeln, Inc.

Sascha Kuemmel

Steffen Schulze

Eugen Wige

Robert Chalmers

Paul Elsner

Gregor Jasny

Jupp Mueller

Techniques are provided for a source computer to generate an encoded video stream having layered sub-streams with differing bitrates while allowing a streaming server to intelligently distribute the appropriate sub-streams to recipients based on their available bandwidth. This may be accomplished by having the source computer generate and send metadata along with the encoded stream to allow the streaming server to detect which data packets belong to each sub-stream. The streaming server is then able to selectively send consistent video sub-streams at appropriate bitrates to each recipient.

Techniques for scalably sharing video through a streaming server

In communication between first and second endpoints, packets include respective sequence numbers reflecting a sequential order of transmission. The second endpoint (1) identifies reception times for the packets, and stores the sequence number and reception time of each received packet, and (2) sends packet report messages to the first endpoint, each identifying (i) a respective received packet by its position within the sequential order of transmission of the packets, and (ii) the reception time of the received packet. The first endpoint (1) receives the packet report messages from the second endpoint, and (2) processes the packet report messages to (i) detect missing packets not identified as received in the packet report messages, and initiating re-transmission of the missing packets, and (ii) based on the reception times for the received packets, calculate time-based performance characteristics for the communications link for use in higher-level control of the communications link.

Data communications employing packet report messages

A technique for encoding a video signal includes generating a representative value for each block of one or more video frames by applying a predetermined function to the pixels of the respective block. To perform a block matching operation for a current block, the technique applies the predetermined function to the current block and interrogates representative values of blocks at specified locations in a spatial and/or temporal vicinity of the current block to find a matching block whose representative value matches the one generated for the current block.

Efficient video block matching

Growing community of inventors

Langebrueck, Germany

Sascha Kuemmel