Abstract: A method of allocating bandwidth in a network comprising receiving a GATE message allocating a transmission time window in an optical portion of the network to a coaxial network unit (CNU) in a coax portion of the network, and generating a coax network resource map by mapping the transmission time window to communication channel resources in the coax portion of the network; and sending the coax network resource map to the CNU.

Abstract: A method of allocating upstream bandwidth on a network comprising mapping an integer portion of a value obtained from a grant start time into a symbol number of a data frame on a coaxial segment of the network, wherein the value comprises the grant start time in units of a length of a data frame in the coaxial segment of a network, and wherein the length of the data frame comprises a preselected number of units of time defined in an optical segment of a network; mapping a fractional portion of the value obtained from the grant start time into a subcarrier number of the data frame; and mapping a grant length into a number subcarriers of the data frame.

Abstract: Adaptive joint source channel coding associates multiple predictors with a reference data unit, such as a macroblock or frame of video data. An encoder determines a sub-codebook in which each of the selected multiple predictors decodes to the reference data unit. An identifier for the sub-codebook is transmitted through a channel to a decoder for subsequent decoding of the reference data unit. The reference data unit itself does not need to be sent. The multiple predictors are contained within a decoding region and the identifier for the sub-codebook specifies the decoding region. The decoder uses the identified sub-codebook and one of the predictors to decode the reference data unit. If none of the original predictors are correctly received, different types of error handling are employed based on the type of channel.

Abstract: An example method may include receiving a media stream from a first endpoint, where the media stream is intended for a second endpoint; processing the media stream according to at least one processing option; compressing the media stream; and communicating the media stream to the second endpoint. In more specific instances, the processing may include converting a speech in the media stream to text in a first language; converting the text in the first language to text in a second language; rendering the text in the second language; and adding the rendered text in the media stream.

Abstract: An OLT comprising an optical port configured to couple to an optical distribution network, a processor coupled to the optical port and configured to generate a DL-MAP based on non-broadcast downstream bandwidth allocations for a plurality of network units, wherein each of the downstream bandwidth allocations is not assigned to all of the network units, generate an EPON MPCP downstream gate message comprising the DL-MAP, and embed the DL-MAP in the EPON MPCP downstream gate message, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and the optical port, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the EPON MPCP downstream gate message to the network units via the PON.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to shift at an encoding device a portion of a video sequence by a first predetermined number of pixels horizontally and by a first predetermined number of pixels vertically to produce a shifted first portion of the video sequence. The shifted first portion of the video sequence is encoded to produce a first video description. The portion of the video sequence is shifted by a second predetermined number of pixels horizontally and by a second predetermined number of pixels vertically to produce a shifted second portion of the video sequence. The shifted second portion of the video sequence is encoded to produce a second video description, and the first video description and the second video description are transmitted. The techniques are scalable to shift and encode the portion of the video sequence a plurality of times to produce any number of video descriptions. Similarly, techniques are provided herein to perform such functions in reverse at a decoder.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes generating a first document and a second document associated with video data that includes a group of pictures (GOPs). The method also includes hashing a plurality of video frames associated with the video data. Additionally, the method includes appending each of the video frames' respective hash and respective display times to the first document, and appending each of a plurality of I-frames' respective hash and respective display times to the second document. The method further includes communicating the first document and the second document in a reliable manner over a network to a next destination.

Abstract: An optical line terminal (OLT) comprising an optical transmitter, and an optical port coupled to the optical transmitter, wherein the optical port is configured to couple to a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) node via an optical fiber, and wherein the optical transmitter is configured to transmit analog signals to the HFC node via the optical fiber. Also included is a coaxial line terminal (CLT) comprising an electrical transmitter, and an electrical port coupled to the electrical transmitter, wherein the electrical port is configured to couple to a coaxial network unit (CNU) via an electrical cable, and wherein the electrical transmitter is configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals to the CNU via the electrical cable.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a data framer comprising a physical layer protocol stack comprising a coax convergence layer, a coax framing layer next to the convergence layer, wherein the coax framing layer is configured to decompose and assemble data packets in a coax network, a coax coding layer next to the coax frame layer, wherein the coax coding layer is configured to protect the coax transmissions from impairments, a coax modulation layer next to the coax coding layer, wherein the coax modulation layer is configured to modulate the data according to a coax physical layer (PHY), and a radio frequency layer next to the coax modulation layer and configured to interface to an electrical medium for a coaxial network.

Abstract: An example method is provided and includes receiving a media file that includes video data and audio data; determining an initial scene sequence in the media file; determining an initial speaker sequence in the media file; and updating a selected one of the initial scene sequence and the initial speaker sequence in order to generate an updated scene sequence and an updated speaker sequence respectively. The initial scene sequence is updated based on the initial speaker sequence, and wherein the initial speaker sequence is updated based on the initial scene sequence.

Abstract: Adaptive joint source channel coding associates multiple predictors with a reference data unit, such as a macroblock or frame of video data. An encoder determines a sub-codebook in which each of the selected multiple predictors decodes to the reference data unit. An identifier for the sub-codebook is transmitted through a channel to a decoder for subsequent decoding of the reference data unit. The reference data unit itself does not need to be sent. The multiple predictors are contained within a decoding region and the identifier for the sub-codebook specifies the decoding region. The decoder uses the identified sub-codebook and one of the predictors to decode the reference data unit. If none of the original predictors are correctly received, different types of error handling are employed based on the type of channel.

Abstract: An apparatus for interconnecting a fiber-optic network and a coax network comprising a coax line terminal (CLT) configured to couple to an optical line terminal (OLT) at the fiber-optic network and a plurality of coax network units (CNUs) at the coax network and to cache data received from the CNUs and forward the cached data to the OLT upon receiving a message from the OLT that assigns a transmission cycle for a specified CNU, wherein the CLT forwards the cached data to the OLT upon receiving the message regardless of whether the cached data corresponds to the specified CNU.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a processor configured to obtain one or more plant conditions regarding at least one of a plurality of customer premises equipment (CPEs) remotely coupled to the apparatus via electrical lines, and divide the plurality of coupled CPEs into a number of profile groups based on the one or more plant conditions, wherein each profile group comprises at least one CPE and supports one or more modulation orders.

Abstract: A method implemented by a middlebox comprising registering a customer premises equipment (CPE) in the middlebox, wherein the CPE is coupled to the middlebox via an electrical line, and facilitating registration of the CPE in a central office (CO) equipment coupled to the middlebox.

Abstract: An example method may include receiving a media stream from a first endpoint, where the media stream is intended for a second endpoint; processing the media stream according to at least one processing option; compressing the media stream; and communicating the media stream to the second endpoint. In more specific instances, the processing may include converting a speech in the media stream to text in a first language; converting the text in the first language to text in a second language; rendering the text in the second language; and adding the rendered text in the media stream.

Abstract: A method in a network device for providing end-to-end connection in a unified optical and coax network, comprising receiving at an integrated node device (IND) a frame from an optical line terminal (OLT), wherein the frame comprises a data frame and a logical link identifier (LLID), and placing the data in a one of a plurality of buffers based on the LLID, wherein the one of the plurality of buffers corresponds to a customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the LLID, wherein the data frame stays intact in a media access control (MAC) layer.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to produce encoded video bitstreams and to similarly decode encoded video bitstreams according to a coding standard not supported by an on-chip encoder/decoder. For purposes of encoding, a video sequence is received at a first device. A first bitstream is generated at the first device by encoding the video sequence according to a first coding standard and information associated with the video sequence is generated at the first device according to a second coding standard. The first bitstream and the information are then transmitted to a second device. At the second device the first bitstream is decoded to produce a second bitstream. The second bitstream and the information are combined by removing syntax elements associated with the first coding standard from the second bitstream and adding the information to produce a third bitstream according to the second coding standard. Similar techniques are provided for decoding an encoded bitstream to recover a video sequence.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes establishing a communication channel between a first network element and a second network element; identifying a video processing characteristic for a data stream in a network environment; embedding a plurality of bits into the data stream in order to identify the video processing characteristic that has been identified by the first network element; and communicating the data stream with the plurality of bits to a next destination.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for estimating video quality corruption at a device in a network from a data stream encapsulating a video transport stream comprising one or more video frames. The video transport stream is decoded to produce a current video frame. A current loss affected region map is generated comprising values configured to indicate a level of quality for each macroblock in the current video frame, and a decoder based or deterministic quality corruption metric is generated based on the values in the current loss affected region map. When the network device does not have video decoding capability, techniques are further provided for computing a statistics-based video quality corruption metric based on a data loss rate for the current video frame and other statistics.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to shift at an encoding device a portion of a video sequence by a first predetermined number of pixels horizontally and by a first predetermined number of pixels vertically to produce a shifted first portion of the video sequence. The shifted first portion of the video sequence is encoded to produce a first video description. The portion of the video sequence is shifted by a second predetermined number of pixels horizontally and by a second predetermined number of pixels vertically to produce a shifted second portion of the video sequence. The shifted second portion of the video sequence is encoded to produce a second video description, and the first video description and the second video description are transmitted. The techniques are scalable to shift and encode the portion of the video sequence a plurality of times to produce any number of video descriptions. Similarly, techniques are provided herein to perform such functions in reverse at a decoder.