Abstract: A method for encoding network data, such as Internet Protocol (IP) data, into a format for transmission over a satellite system is described. The network data is configured in a packet having a data block and header information. The network data packet is encoded into a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame. The MPT frame comprises a data frame to hold data and header information. The IP packet in inserted its entirety into the data frame of the MPT frame. The variable-length MTP frame is then encoded into one or more fixed-length MTP packets. Each MPT packet has a data fragment block comprising a portion of the MTP frame and associated header information to designate what portion of the MTP frame is contained in the data fragment block.

Abstract: A system and method for determining light illumination on a model in a virtual environment. A plurality of ambient cubes are defined in the virtual environment. A plurality of lights is detected. Indirect lights are also detected. Lights incident on the ambient cubes are divided into major and minor lights. For each ambient cube, six ambient cube values are calculated, each ambient cube value being related to the aggregate light illumination at a respective side of the ambient cube by the minor lights. The light illumination caused by the major lights is determined in real-time. The determined light illumination is modified by a value related to one or more ambient cube values associated with one of the plurality of ambient cubes.

Abstract: A method for generating relatively realistic virtual eyes for a character in a virtual environment, such as a video game, chat room, and virtual world. Different types of visual effects and textures are layered to create relatively realistic virtual eyes for a character in the virtual environment. These layered visual effects include a sclera texture that is generated to cover the opening surrounded by the virtual eyelids for the character. Layered over the sclera texture is a transparent texture that also covers these openings and includes opaque virtual irises that are arranged in a position that is based on a direction that the character is looking. Additionally, a relatively light spot or additive “glint” texture is layered in a position on top of the virtual iris for the transparent texture that is based at least in part on a summation of light sources that are illuminating the character in a scene of the virtual environment.

Abstract: A system and method for determining light illumination on a model in a virtual environment. A plurality of ambient cubes are defined in the virtual environment. A plurality of lights is detected. Indirect lights are also detected. Lights incident on the ambient cubes are divided into major and minor lights. For each ambient cube, six ambient cube values are calculated, each ambient cube value being related to the aggregate light illumination at a respective side of the ambient cube by the minor lights. The light illumination caused by the major lights is determined in real-time. The determined light illumination is modified by a value related to one or more ambient cube values associated with one of the plurality of ambient cubes.

Abstract: A method for encoding network data, such as Internet Protocol (IP) data, into a format for transmission over a satellite system is described. The network data is configured in a packet having a data block and header information. The network data packet is encoded into a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame. The MPT frame comprises a data frame to hold data and header information. The IP packet in inserted its entirety into the data frame of the MPT frame. The variable-length MTP frame is then encoded into one or more fixed-length MTP packets. Each MPT packet has a data fragment block comprising a portion of the MTP frame and associated header information to designate what portion of the MTP frame is contained in the data fragment block. The MPT packets are sized to be embedded as a specific size payload of the satellite packet that is transmitted over a satellite network. Using this method, data received over a data network (i.e.

Abstract: A method for encoding network data, such as Internet Protocol (IP) data, into a format for transmission over a satellite system is described. The network data is configured in a packet having a data block and header information. The network data packet is encoded into a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame. The MPT frame comprises a data frame to hold data and header information. The IP packet in inserted its entirety into the data frame of the MPT frame. The variable-length MTP frame is then encoded into one or more fixed-length MTP packets. Each MPT packet has a data fragment block comprising a portion of the MTP frame and associated header information to designate what portion of the MTP frame is contained in the data fragment block. The MPT packets are sized to be embedded as a specific size payload of the satellite packet that is transmitted over a satellite network. Using this method, data received over a data network (i.e.

Abstract: In a broadcast system in which computer data and other content are delivered from multiple content servers to multiple clients at least partly over a broadcast network, a transmission announcement system announces upcoming broadcast transmissions and instructs the clients on how to receive the broadcast transmissions. Announcement servers (which may or may not be the same as the content servers which serve the data for the broadcast transmissions) generate announcements containing information specifying how associated upcoming transmissions are to be delivered over the broadcast network. The announcement server makes the announcements available to the clients over the broadcast network or over a secondary link other than the broadcast network.

Abstract: In a broadcast system in which computer data and other content are delivered from multiple content servers to multiple clients at least partly over a broadcast network, a transmission announcement system announces upcoming broadcast transmissions and instructs the clients on how to receive the broadcast transmissions. Announcement servers (which may or may not be the same as the content servers which serve the data for the broadcast transmissions) generate announcements containing information specifying how associated upcoming transmissions are to be delivered over the broadcast network. The announcement server makes the announcements available to the clients over the broadcast network or over a secondary link other than the broadcast network.

Abstract: In a broadcast system in which computer data and other content are delivered from multiple content servers to multiple clients at least partly over a broadcast network, a transmission announcement system announces upcoming broadcast transmissions and instructs the clients on how to receive the broadcast transmissions. Announcement servers (which may or may not be the same as the content servers which serve the data for the broadcast transmissions) generate announcements containing information specifying how associated upcoming transmissions are to be delivered over the broadcast network. The announcement server makes the announcements available to the clients over the broadcast network or over a secondary link other than the broadcast network.

Abstract: A method for encoding network data, such as Internet Protocol (IP) data, into a format for transmission over a satellite system is described. The network data is configured in a packet having a data block and header information. The network data packet is encoded into a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame. The MPT frame comprises a data frame to hold data and header information. The IP packet in inserted its entirety into the data frame of the MPT frame. The variable-length MTP frame is then encoded into one or more fixed-length MTP packets. Each MPT packet has a data fragment block comprising a portion of the MTP frame and associated header information to designate what portion of the MTP frame is contained in the data fragment block. The MPT packets are sized to be embedded as a specific size payload of the satellite packet that is transmitted over a satellite network. Using this method, data received over a data network (i.e.

Abstract: A method for encoding network data, such as Internet Protocol (IP) data, into a format for transmission over a satellite system is described. The network data is configured in a packet having a data block and header information. The network data packet is encoded into a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame. The MPT frame comprises a data frame to hold data and header information. The IP packet in inserted its entirety into the data frame of the MPT frame. The variable-length MTP frame is then encoded into one or more fixed-length MTP packets. Each MPT packet has a data fragment block comprising a portion of the MTP frame and associated header information to designate what portion of the MTP frame is contained in the data fragment block. The MPT packets are sized to be embedded as a specific size payload of the satellite packet that is transmitted over a satellite network. Using this method, data received over a data network (i.e.

Abstract: In a broadcast system in which computer data and other content are delivered from multiple content servers to multiple clients at least partly over a broadcast network, a transmission announcement system announces upcoming broadcast transmissions and instructs the clients on how to receive the broadcast transmissions. Announcement servers (which may or may not be the same as the content servers which serve the data for the broadcast transmissions) generate announcements containing information specifying how associated upcoming transmissions are to be delivered over the broadcast network. The announcement server makes the announcements available to the clients over the broadcast network or over a secondary link other than the broadcast network.

Abstract: A data delivery system facilitates transmission of data packets from a content server to multiple clients over a unidirectional network. A redundancy formatter resident at the server groups multiple data packets into a redundancy group and generates at least one redundancy packet containing redundancy information derived from the data packets in the redundancy group. The data packets and redundancy packet are sent over the unidirectional network to the client. In the event that a packet is lost, a packet rebuilder resident at each client reconstructs the missing data packet from the successfully transmitted data packets in the redundancy group and the redundancy packet for the redundancy group.

Abstract: A data delivery system facilitates broadcast delivery of computer data and other content from multiple content servers to multiple clients. The servers are connected to a broadcast center via a bi-directional data network, such as an ATM network or an Ethernet. The data is served over the data network from the content servers to the broadcast center where it is broadcast over a broadcast network (i.e., satellite, RF, microwave, etc.) to the clients. The clients are equipped to receive broadcast transmissions from the broadcast center. Due to the unidirectional broadcast link, the clients are unable to communicate with the servers to acknowledge receipt or pre-reserve bandwidth over the data network. The broadcast center performs this task on behalf of the clients.

Abstract: A broadcast transmission system transmits data packets from a server to a client over a unidirectional broadcast network. The system transmits both full-length data packets, which have uncompressed headers, and reduced-length data packets, which have compressed headers derived from associated uncompressed headers. The server compresses the data packets by compressing the packet header. Compressed packet headers contain fewer header fields than their associated uncompressed headers. The server transmits a series of intermixed full-length and reduced-length packets to the client. As the packets are received, the client determines whether the packets are full-length or reduced-length. If the packet is full-length, the client stores the uncompressed header in a header table. If the packet is reduced-length, the client rebuilds the compressed header from its corresponding uncompressed headers in the header table.

Abstract: A method and system for opportunistically downloading data from a server computer system to client computer systems. The server computer system has a point-to-point transmission mechanism for receiving data from each client computer system and has a broadcast transmission mechanism for broadcasting data to the client computer systems. Each client computer system has a broadcast receiver for receiving data broadcast by the broadcast transmission mechanism when the client computer system is in a receiving state. In a preferred embodiment, the server computer system selects data to be downloaded from the server computer system to the client computer systems, and broadcasts the selected data using the broadcast transmission mechanism. Each client computer system that is in the receiving state receives the broadcasted data and sends a confirmation that the client computer system has received the broadcasted data to the server computer system using the point-to-point transmission mechanism.

Abstract: A method and system for opportunistically downloading data from a server computer system to client computer systems. The server computer system has a point-to-point transmission mechanism for receiving data from each client computer system and has a broadcast transmission mechanism for broadcasting data to the client computer systems. Each client computer system has a broadcast receiver for receiving data broadcast by the broadcast transmission mechanism when the client computer system is in a receiving state. In a preferred embodiment, the server computer system selects data to be downloaded from the server computer system to the client computer systems, and broadcasts the selected data using the broadcast transmission mechanism. Each client computer system that is in the receiving state receives the broadcasted data and sends a confirmation that the client computer system has received the broadcasted data to the server computer system using the point-to-point transmission mechanism.