Cisco Technology, Inc.

Mellanox Technologies, Ltd.

Mellanox Technologies Tlv Ltd.

Thomas Kernen

Dotan David Levi

Arturo A Rodriguez

Ariel Almog

Ijsbrand Wijnands

Gregory J Shepherd

William C VerSteeg

Natan Manevich

Neale D R Ranns

Jeffrey C Hopper

Bar Shapira

Liron Mula

Aviad Raveh

Nir Nitzani

Ilan Smith

Alex Vainman

Georgi Mihaylov Chalakov

Bar Or Shapira

Rafi Wiener

William C Versteeg

System, methods, and devices for sharing time information between machines are provided. In one example, a system includes a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Hardware Clock (PHC) and an application. The application receives time information from the PHC along with contextual metadata associated with the time information, analyzes the contextual metadata associated with the time information, and determines a context in which the PHC is disciplined. The context in which the PHC is disciplined may control a manner in which the application uses the time information.

Companion metadata for precision time protocol (PTP) hardware clock

A system for maintaining a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) hardware clock, the system being operative in conjunction with a network device which is external to the system, the system comprising a controller to receive information characterizing a network peer oscillator frequency, wherein the information was extracted from an RX symbol rate, and to adjust the PTP Hardware Clock's frequency responsive to the information characterizing the network peer oscillator frequency.

Controller which adjusts clock frequency based on received symbol rate

A system is disclosed that includes two or more network elements, each comprising a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Hardware Clock (PHC) that is adjustable based, at least in part, on physical layer frequency information.

Apparatus including a shared device in communication with a plurality of computing machines external to the shared device, the shared device including at least one PTP domain coefficient storage area, the at least one PTP domain coefficient storage area receiving a PTP coefficient from a computing machine having a PTP client, and providing the PTP coefficient to a computing machine not having a PTP client. Related apparatus and methods are also provided.

Clock synchronization

Methods, network devices and computer readable media are disclosed for replication and switching of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in professional media networks. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a first node in a network configured for bit indexed explicit replication (BIER), and via a replication fabric within the network, a packet comprising a packet bit array. Each receiver of a plurality of non-BIER-enabled receivers reachable via the replication fabric is represented by a relative bit position in the packet bit array, and a respective IP address is assigned to each receiver. The method further includes determining that an intended non-BIER-enabled receiver of the packet is a local receiver of the first node, obtaining the IP address assigned to the local receiver, removing the packet bit array from the packet and forwarding the packet, without the packet bit array, to the local receiver via unicast IP forwarding.

Unicast media replication fabric using bit indexed explicit replication

A method including providing a network element including an ingress port, an egress port, and a delay equalizer, providing an equalization message generator, receiving, at the ingress port, a plurality of data packets from multiple sources, each data packet having a source indication and a source-provided time stamp, determining, at the ingress port, a received time stamp for at least some of the received data packets, passing the received data packets, the source-provided time stamps, and the received time stamps to the delay equalizer, the delay equalizer computing, for each source, a delay for synchronizing that source with other sources, the equalization message generator receiving an output, for each source, including the delay for that source, from the delay equalizer and producing a delay message instructing each source regarding the delay for that source, and sending, from the egress port, the delay message to each source. Related apparatus is also provided.

Stream synchronization

Methods and network devices are disclosed for replication and switching of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in professional media networks. In one embodiment, a method includes encapsulating a unicast IP packet with a packet bit array and forwarding the encapsulated packet via a replication fabric within a network. In this embodiment, each receiver of a plurality of receivers reachable via the replication fabric is represented by a relative bit position in the packet bit array, a respective IP address is assigned to each receiver of the plurality of receivers, and the replication fabric is adapted to store disposition information mapping a relative bit position representing one or more of the plurality of receivers to IP addresses assigned to the one or more of the plurality of receivers. An embodiment of a network device includes a processor operably coupled to a network interface and adapted to perform steps of the method.

Various systems and methods for performing bit indexed explicit replication (BIER). For example, one method involves receiving a first bit string at a node, encapsulating a packet with the first bit string, and forwarding the packet. The method also involves receiving a second bit string at the node and selecting the second bit string. The method also involves encapsulating a second packet with the second bit string and forwarding the second packet.

Bit indexed explicit replication for professional media networks

In one embodiment, a receiver for an accelerated channel change is provided. The receiver receives a first version of a video stream for a first channel and causes display of video for the first version of the video stream for the channel. A second version of a video stream is received upon a channel change to a second channel, the second version including non-discardable pictures from the first version of the video stream. The receiver displays video for the second version of the video stream for the second channel. When a transition point is reached in the first version of the video stream for the second channel, a first version of a video stream for the second channel can be displayed.

Faster access to television channels

In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a primary stream of encoded frames and a separate stream of redundant frames. The method further comprises decoding and reconstructing in parallel the frames in the primary stream and the separate stream of redundant frames, on a real-time basis, in accordance with a specified common clock reference. The method further comprises, upon determining that a frame in the primary stream exhibits an error or impairment, determining a decoded redundant frame in the separate stream that corresponds to the impaired frame, and substituting at least a portion of the information in the decoded redundant frame for a corresponding decoded version of the impaired frame.

Simultaneous processing of media and redundancy streams for mitigating impairments

In one embodiment, a method comprises identifying a plurality of frames of interest from a primary stream of encoded frames. The method further comprises selecting at least one of the frames of interest for inclusion in a separate redundant stream. The method further comprises producing another encoded instance of the at least one selected encoded frame. The method further comprises associating the another encoded instance of the at least one selected frame in the separate redundant stream with the corresponding selected encoded frame in the primary stream. The method further comprises providing the primary stream, the separate redundant stream, and a common clock reference to a decoder.

Growing community of inventors

Russin, Switzerland

Thomas Kernen