The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 28, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 14, 1995
Michael B Adams, Castle Rock, CO (US);
Time Warner Cable, a division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A system for utilizing the available bit rate in a constrained variable bit rate channel is described. The system receives one or more encoded information streams, each having a variable bit rate. Rate control circuitry controls the rate of transmission of the encoded information streams so that the variable bit rate of the streams is transformed into a constrained variable bit rate, in which the variable bit rate is limited to a predetermined maximum value. A multiplexer multiplexes the encoded information streams for transmission over a channel. The channel may comprise a 6 MHz television channel. The multiplexer also multiplexes the encoded information streams with a secondary information stream for transmission over the channel. For purposes of multiplexer selection of information streams, the secondary information stream is assigned a lower priority than the encoded information streams. The encoded information streams may, for example, carry video data, whereas the secondary information stream may, for example, carry application data. The multiplexer may select from among the encoded information streams according to a round-robin scheme. The rate of the secondary information stream depends upon the rates of the encoded information streams. The rate of the secondary information stream may be controlled by a transmission control protocol, where the rate is adjusted by adjusting a transmit window of the protocol.