Abstract: The present invention relates to a method at a receiver for playing a stream comprising a set of video samples and a set of audio samples, said audio samples and said video samples being adapted to be rendered at a standard rendering speed in a synchronized manner, comprising at the receiver the steps of starting the reception of the stream, starting the rendering of the video samples at a speed slower than the standard rendering speed and accelerating the rendering speed up to the standard rendering speed. The invention also concerns methods for an early rendering of audio samples, when the stream comprises a set of audio samples, wherein the audio and video samples are adapted to be rendered at a standard rendering speed in a synchronized manner.

Abstract: There are provided methods and apparatus for adaptive reference filtering of bi-predictive pictures in multi-view coded video. An apparatus includes an encoder (100) for encoding a current picture as a bi-predictive picture. The encoder (100) performs adaptive filtering of at least one reference picture to respectively obtain at least one filtered reference picture, and bi-predictively codes the current picture using the at least one filtered reference picture. The at least one reference picture is a picture wherein at least one sample thereof is used for inter-prediction either of subsequent to the least one sample being applied to an in-loop filter or in an absence of the at least one sample being applied to an in-loop filter. Reference filter coefficients for the adaptive filtering are determined responsive to at least one of luma values and chroma values of pixels grouped based on at least one of depth and disparity and motion.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and a method for improving the control of access by a terminal device in a WLAN environment having an access point for determining whether the device utilizes an IEEE 802.1x protocol by the access point communicating to the device, a packet, whereby if the devices utilizes a IEEE 802.1x protocol the device appropriately responds and otherwise the access point determines that the terminal device protocol does not employ a IEEE 802.1x protocol and selects an authentication mechanism compatible with the terminal device. If the device is not an IEEE 802.1x client, an IP packet filtering is configured to redirect a user HTTP request to a local server, and when the HTTP requests are thereby redirected, the HTTP server presents the terminal device with information specifically related to the browser based authentication.

Abstract: A scalable video bitstream may have an H.264/AVC compatible base layer (BL) and a scalable enhancement layer (EL), where scalability refers to color bit depth. The H.264/AVC scalability extension SVC provides also other types of scalability, e.g. spatial scalability where the number of pixels in BL and EL are different. According to the invention, BL information is upsampled (TUp,BDUp) in two logical steps in adaptive order, one being texture upsampling and the other being bit depth upsampling. Texture upsampling is a process that increases the number of pixels, and bit depth upsampling is a process that increases the number of values that each pixel can have, corresponding to the pixels color intensity. The upsampled BL data are used to predict the collocated EL. A prediction order indication is transferred so that the decoder can upsample BL information in the same manner as the encoder, wherein the upsampling refers to spatial and bit depth characteristics.

Abstract: An encoder, a decoder, corresponding encoding and decoding methods, video signal structure, and storage media are provided for scalable video encoding and decoding. A scalable video encoder includes an encoder for encoding a picture to form a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream. The base layer bitstream and the enhancement layer bitstream are formed by partitioning the picture into a plurality of image blocks, grouping the plurality of image blocks into one or more slice groups in the base layer bitstream and into two or more slice groups in the enhancement layer bitstream, encoding all of the one or more slice groups in the base layer bitstream and less than all of the two or more slice groups in the enhancement layer such that at least one slice group from among the two or more slice groups is intentionally un-encoded in the enhancement layer bitstream, encoding a syntax element in a header to indicate the at least one intentionally un-encoded slice group in the enhancement layer.

Abstract: There are provided video encoders and corresponding methods for encoding video data for an image that is divisible into super-macroblocks (super-MBs). A video encoder includes an encoder for classifying a super-MB in the image with respect to one of a frame mode or a field mode using a band-pass/high-pass filter applied vertically to the image.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for display color fidelity optimization using performance prediction are provided. A method of the present invention can include obtaining data regarding available display parameters of the display device, obtaining feedback information regarding respective current values of the display parameters of the display device, performing simulations to determine how changes in the display parameters affect a display of the video content on the display, determining a prediction of a performance of the display device based upon the current values of the display parameters, determining an effect of ambient light on at least one of the determined prediction and the display parameters, and optimizing the display parameters in accordance with at least one of the determined prediction and the determined effect of ambient light. In an alternate embodiment, the method can further include recovering one or more original current values of the display parameters subsequent to a change.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for providing data in a multiple dwelling facility. The system may comprise a headend unit that receives a data stream that comprises a plurality of programs, and a multiple dwelling unit network that is adapted to receive at least a portion of the data stream from the headend unit and provide at least a subset of the plurality of programs to individual users in the multiple dwelling facility. The method may comprise the acts of receiving a data stream that comprises a plurality of programs, distributing at least a portion of the data stream to a multiple dwelling unit network, and providing access to a specific one of the plurality of programs to each of a plurality of individual users within the multiple dwelling facility via the multiple dwelling unit network depending on whether each of the plurality of individual users has met at least one predetermined condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for image processing to generate, from a source image having a predefined width to height ratio, called initial ratio, and an information banner having predefined width to height ratio, called banner ratio, a final image having a width called final and a height called final and for which the width to height ratio, called final ratio, is different from the initial ratio, comprising the following steps: determine a ratio called useful according to the final ratio and the banner ratio, extract from the source image a part of the image having a width to height ratio equal to the useful ratio, and generate, from the part of the image extracted and the information banner, a final image comprising in juxtaposition an image representative of the extracted image part having a width to height ratio equal to the useful ratio and an image representative of the information banner having a width to height ratio equal to the banner ratio.

Abstract: There are provided a method and apparatus for analytical and empirical hybrid encoding distortion modeling. An apparatus includes a distortion calculator for modeling video encoding distortion by dividing the video encoding distortion into a first portion and a second portion, calculating the first portion using empirical calculations, and calculating the second portion using analytical calculations.

Abstract: An LCD display has a programmable backlight device that produces multiple different color fields from multiple different phosphor elements. The backlight device can be a low resolution FED device. The phosphor is applied by an electrophotographic screening process or direct electrostatic screening process. The FED device can further incorporate a wide gamut phosphor.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing arbitration increases the fairness of arbitrations, decreases system latency, increases system throughput, and is suitable for use in more complex systems. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a generator for generating a plurality of arbitration numbers corresponding to a plurality of agents, and circuitry for selecting one of the agents to access a resource shared by the agents based on the arbitration numbers. At least one of the arbitration numbers includes a plurality of fields corresponding to a plurality of parameters.

Abstract: A system and method for processing user programming request are described. A request entered by a user is detected. An entry for a time period based user spending limit is provided, in respond to the entered user request. The time period based user spending limit entry is received by the system and system tracks the user spending during the time period. In another embodiment, more than one spending limit, corresponding to different time periods, may be entered.

Abstract: In a switched mode power supply, and in accordance with a method for operating a switched mode power supply, the magnitude of each occurrence of a current flowing during operation of a power output switch is sensed for negative feedback control. A sense voltage is generated proportional to the primary supply voltage. Whenever the sense voltage exceeds a threshold, output power of the power supply is limited by increasing the sensed magnitude of each occurrence of the flowing currents by adding to each sensed magnitude a voltage proportional to the sense voltage. Threshold voltages can be selected by using Zener diodes having different breakdown voltages. Respective ranges within the overall range of the primary supply voltage in which supplemental power limiting occurs and does not occur can thus be controlled.

Abstract: A method for multicasting data includes obtaining a set of minimum utility preferences and a utility preference for each user in a multicast group, computing a corresponding probability dist?bution of different multicasting data the users are requesting, running a lottery of operating points of the set according to the corresponding probability dist?bution, and multicasting the operating point determined from the lottery. For scalable layered data the method includes determining initial utility and payoff parameter for each user for a lowest data layer accommodating all group users, running a lottery for the layer using an initialized probability vector to assign the lowest layer, multicasting the lowest layer, determining new initial utility and corresponding payoff parameter for each remaining group user for a plurality of layers of data, running another lottery according to a determined mixed set probability vector to select a particular layer, and multicasting the particular layer.

Abstract: Packetized video data with a base-layer and at least one enhancement-layer organized in a GOP structure may contain packet loss errors. A method for detecting such errors includes the steps of reading header information relating to a layer, generating a scheme or selecting a predefined scheme according to the header information. The scheme can be made up of a display order number, and/or a number of reference frames and temporal level for the frames of the respective layer. The method can then extract from received video data frames the display order number, and/or the number of reference frames and temporal level parameters, and detect that one or more frames or packets are missing. The received parameters are compared with the parameters of expected frames according to the scheme and a missing packet or frame is determined by a mismatch between received and expected parameters.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a network terminal, and method in a broadband terminal for upgrading a firmware, said terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non volatile memory adapted to store only one version of the firmware, the firmware comprising a first firmware and a second firmware, the method comprising, at the terminal, the step of erasing the first firmware from the non volatile memory, downloading a rescue firmware to the non volatile memory from a server located on the network, the rescue firmware being adapted to allow the terminal to download the firmware from the server, rebooting the terminal with the second firmware and the rescue firmware, downloading a new version of the first and second firmware from the server to the non volatile memory, erasing the rescue firmware from the non volatile memory, and rebooting the terminal with the new version of the first and second firmware.

Abstract: For algebraic single symbol error correction and detection, a method is proposed which achieves correcting single symbol errors at unknown positions within codewords, identifying cases where multiple symbols within a codeword are uncorrectably corrupted, and identifying cases where a single symbol within a codeword is uncorrectably corrupted. The method comprises the steps of calculating a syndrome of a received word, splitting the syndrome into two parts, checking 3 integer weight quantities calculated from the two syndrome parts, converting the syndrome into a vector of integer valued “orthogonal bit error weights” associated to the received bits, and toggling those bits of the received word, where the associated “orthogonal bit error weight” is in the upper half of its possible value range.

Abstract: Radiocommunication device comprising a starter software module suitable to allow a simplified radio link of the radiocommunication device with a local radiocommunication network and allow a downloading, by this simplified radio link, of an update of a use software module that is contained in the radiocommunication device and that is suitable to enable a normal radio link to be set up.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a control method for the operation of a fan equipping an electronic device. A determination step detects the vertical or horizontal position of the electronic device. The fan is not started up during the powering up of the device while the device is in a vertical position. The flow of air produced by the “fireplace” effect in the device in a vertical position suffices to ensure correct ventilation. According to an improvement the device has a sensor measuring the internal temperature of the device, whatever the position of the device, the fan being started up from a determined temperature. The present invention relates also to a device implementing the method.