Abstract: A method by at least one network node is disclosed for controlling setup of calls through a communication system. Information is received for a call request that comprises a network address of an origination device of the call request and a virtual identifier associated with a destination device to which the incoming call is directed. A user call profile is retrieved from among a plurality of user call profiles in a user call profile repository using the virtual identifier to identify the user call profile. The user call profile includes a plurality of rules defined by the user for controlling setup of calls to the destination device. Setup of a call path between the origination device and the destination device is controlled responsive to the user call profile.

Abstract: A system, a controller, and methods are described herein for enabling a user of a user device while located in a visited local area network (e.g., their friend's local area network) to remotely access a device which is located within a home local area network (e.g., their household local area network).

Abstract: A streaming server and a method are described herein for providing a content stream with advertisements embedded therein through a network (e.g., IP network, CDN network, wireless network) to a client (e.g., personal computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, or a HTTP capable television).

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods control communication of content streams through a content distribution network. A data repository is accessed to retrieve information which identifies a group of user equipment nodes that are registered with one of a plurality of subscriber accounts and which further identifies weight values that are associated with the group of the user equipment nodes. Communication bit rates that are provided by a weighted fair queuing scheduler node to individual ones of a group of the content streams within bandwidth allocated to a virtual pipe for carrying the group of the content streams through the content distribution network to the group of the user equipment nodes, are regulated responsive to the weight values associated with the group of the user equipment nodes. Weighted fair queuing scheduling can thereby be provided at a virtual pipe level and, furthermore, at a user equipment node level.

Abstract: An adaptive streaming server, a method, and a system are described herein that create a content stream to be delivered to one or more clients by segmenting the content into data structures which are stored in random access memory (volatile storage) rather than segmenting the content into segment files which are stored on a disk or database (non-volatile storage).

Abstract: A method by at least one network node is disclosed for controlling setup of calls through a communication system. Information is received for a call request that comprises a network address of an origination device of the call request and a virtual identifier associated with a destination device to which the incoming call is directed. A user call profile is retrieved from among a plurality of user call profiles in a user call profile repository using the virtual identifier to identify the user call profile. The user call profile includes a plurality of rules defined by the user for controlling setup of calls to the destination device. Setup of a call path between the origination device and the destination device is controlled responsive to the user call profile.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods control communication of content streams through a content distribution network. A data repository is accessed to retrieve information which identifies a group of user equipment nodes that are registered with one of a plurality of subscriber accounts and which further identifies weight values that are associated with the group of the user equipment nodes. Communication bit rates that are provided by a weighted fair queuing scheduler node to individual ones of a group of the content streams within bandwidth allocated to a virtual pipe for carrying the group of the content streams through the content distribution network to the group of the user equipment nodes, are regulated responsive to the weight values associated with the group of the user equipment nodes. Weighted fair queuing scheduling can thereby be provided at a virtual pipe level and, furthermore, at a user equipment node level.

Abstract: Methods by a content distribution system and related adaptive streaming segmenter nodes and adaptive streaming re-segmenter nodes are disclosed. An adaptive streaming re-segmenter node includes at least one network interface that receive a series of segmented files for each of a first plurality of content streams having different coding bit rates of a same source media content. Circuitry combines the series of segmented files to generate a second plurality of content streams having different coding bit rates. The circuitry selects among a plurality of distribution container formats responsive to a streaming protocol used by one of the user equipment nodes, and selects among the second plurality of content streams responsive to available resources at the user equipment node. The circuitry also communicates the selected one of the second plurality of content streams toward the user equipment node using the selected distribution container format.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a method performed by a pipe control node for managing network resources that are used to transport network traffic. The method includes allocating network resources to a virtual pipe for transporting a plurality of multimedia streams through the network. Utilization of the network resources by the plurality of multimedia streams transported through the virtual pipe is monitored relative to the network resources allocated to the virtual pipe. The network resources that are used by the plurality of multimedia streams transported through the virtual pipe are managed in response to the monitored utilization. Some other embodiments are directed to a corresponding pipe control node that manages network resources which are used to transport network traffic.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a method performed by a pipe control node for managing network resources that are used to transport network traffic. The method includes allocating network resources to a virtual pipe for transporting a plurality of multimedia streams through the network. Utilization of the network resources by the plurality of multimedia streams transported through the virtual pipe is monitored relative to the network resources allocated to the virtual pipe. The network resources that are used by the plurality of multimedia streams transported through the virtual pipe are managed in response to the monitored utilization. Some other embodiments are directed to a corresponding pipe control node that manages network resources which are used to transport network traffic.

Abstract: A system and method enabling a user to view on a computing device, a catalog of Video On Demand (VOD) content available on a remote (guest) VOD system, to purchase an available piece of VOD content on the user's account in his Home VOD System, and to play the purchased piece of VOD content through a Guest Set Top Box (STB). A pairing process associates the computing device with the Guest STB, and a VOD Back Office stores this pairing. The VOD Back Office then builds a custom catalog of VOD content available to the user through the Guest STB and sends the catalog to the computing device. When the VOD Back Office receives a request from the computing device to view selected VOD content, the VOD Back Office sends an instruction to a Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB. The Hub force tunes the Guest STB and streams the selected VOD content to the Guest STB for display on a Guest television.

Abstract: An adaptive streaming server, a method, and a system are described herein that create a content stream to be delivered to one or more clients by segmenting the content into data structures which are stored in random access memory (volatile storage) rather than segmenting the content into segment files which are stored on a disk or database (non-volatile storage).

Abstract: A system, a controller, and methods are described herein for enabling a user of a user device while located in a visited local area network (e.g., their friend's local area network) to remotely access a device which is located within a home local area network (e.g., their household local area network).

Abstract: A streaming server and a method are described herein for providing a content stream with advertisements embedded therein through a network (e.g., IP network, CDN network, wireless network) to a client (e.g., personal computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, or a HTTP capable television).

Abstract: A system and method enabling a user to view on a computing device, a catalog of Video On Demand (VOD) content available on a remote (guest) VOD system, to purchase an available piece of VOD content on the user's account in his Home VOD System, and to play the purchased piece of VOD content through a Guest Set Top Box (STB). A pairing process associates the computing device with the Guest STB, and a VOD Back Office stores this pairing. The VOD Back Office then builds a custom catalog of VOD content available to the user through the Guest STB and sends the catalog to the computing device. When the VOD Back Office receives a request from the computing device to view selected VOD content, the VOD Back Office sends an instruction to a Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB. The Hub force tunes the Guest STB and streams the selected VOD content to the Guest STB for display on a Guest television.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an environmentally enhanced experience to a user reading an electronic book (eBook) on an eBook reader in proximity to a television. An application program in the eBook reader causes the eBook reader to send an indication to a Video On Demand (VOD) television delivery system identifying a page of the eBook displayed on the eBook reader. The VOD television delivery system accesses an eVODBook package that defines start, stop; and loop locations in video content associated with the eBook. Video content associated with text or an illustration on the eBook page currently displayed on the eBook reader is streamed to a Set Top Box (STB) and the television in accordance with the eVODBook package.

Abstract: A user can become involved in an Event presented to the user by a media stream. Suitable motion and location cameras and other sensors capture characteristics information on objects, environments, and people in the Event, and that information enables a virtual representation of the user to become a player in the media stream of the Event. Views are generated that include images or representations of one or more real objects in a real space and representations of viewers and that enable the viewers to interact with other images or representations of the objects. To put it another way, a viewer can interact with a TV broadcast of a sporting event, such as a baseball game, an automobile race, etc.

Abstract: A plurality of cameras may be strategically placed around a venue for generating broadcast video streams which are processed by a broadcaster so as to produce a panning effect. A first video from one camera is streamed to one or more viewers. To create a panning effect, video from an adjacent, second, camera stream is used to interpolate video frames. The panning effect can be accomplished by interpolating frames for a certain number of time periods from a frame of the first camera and video frame of the second camera. The video from the first camera, the interpolated frames, and the video from the second camera is then selected and streamed to a viewer as a video stream, providing the panning effect. Multiple interpolation streams can be generated to handle panning from any camera to another camera. Panning requests may originate from the viewer or from the broadcaster.

Abstract: A screen zoom service provides the ability for a cable system subscriber to request a service which the cable service provider modifies a video data stream so as to replace a portion of the image with a zoomed image. The system uses a zoom level to indicate the level of magnification, a zoom region that defines which area of the image are to be zoomed, and a zoom region location parameter to indicate where the zoom region is to appear on the modified image. Thus, a user invoking the service can see portions of the unmodified video stream and a portion of it zoomed at the same time. The system provides the modified video stream on an indicated channel, and the set top box is informed as to which channel the modified video stream can be located.

Abstract: A streaming server and a method are described herein for providing a content stream with advertisements embedded therein through a network (e.g., IP network, CDN network, wireless network) to a client (e.g., personal computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, or a HTTP capable television).