Abstract: A method for processing media content includes receiving, at a second communications device communicatively coupled to a network at a first geographic location, from a first wireless mobile communications device communicatively coupled to the second communications device at the first geographic location, a device profile of the first wireless mobile communications device. The device profile received from the first wireless mobile communications device and media content may be sent to a server communicatively coupled to the network at a second geographic location. Media content may be received from the server, where the media content has been reformatted based on the device profile. The reformatted media content may be transmitted to the first wireless mobile communications device. The received device profile of the first wireless mobile communication device may be stored.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for dynamically adjusting forward error correction (FEC) rate to adapt for time varying network impairments in video streaming applications over IP networks may be disclosed. At a server side of a client-server communication system, a rate of transmission of forward error correction (FEC) packets to one or more clients may be dynamically adjusted based on receiving at least one upstream FEC packet from a plurality of clients. The rate of transmission of the FEC packets to the plurality of clients may be increased when a rate of occurrence of lost data packets is above a particular threshold value. The upstream FEC packets may comprise an urgent packet requesting transmission of a particular FEC packet in order to recover one or more particular lost data packets.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for reducing the video decoder processing requirements are presented herein. During a rewind operation, a reference picture for a group of pictures is decoded and stored into a reference frame buffer. By storing a reference picture for the group, the reference picture need not be decoded to display each picture in the group during the rewind operation.

Abstract: A STB, communicatively coupled to a server, receives a web page request when, for example, a URI, is entered into a web browser running in the STB. In response, the STB sends a processing assistance request to the server for processing the entire web page regardless of processing capability of the STB. The STB receives processed information resources or contents associated with the entire web page from the server. The server retrieves information resources or contents associated with the entire web page from a web server based on the received processing assistance request. The server determines content type such as video and/or graphics of the retrieved information resources or contents for corresponding content processing. The server determines content formats supported by the STB for content encoding. The STB decodes the resulting encoded information resources or contents from the server to render the entire web page in the STB.

Abstract: A device (e.g., a server) retrieves a web page based on a request from another device, for example, a set-top-box (STB). The server determines advertising content and/or web page content to deliver to the STB. The server renders and/or encodes the advertising content and the web page content and communicates the content to the STB. The content is decoded and/or displayed by the STB. The advertising content may be determined based on television viewing, recording and/or web browsing via the STB. The advertising content may be determined based on location information and/or user information from a service provider the STB and/or from user input. Advertising may be inserted within a splash screen, a plug-in window, and/or an area within the web page. Web page advertising may be replaced, blocked and/or modified based on user information. The determined advertising may be communicated to the STB prior to communicating a plug-in.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for compression and decompression for handling web content may include a communication system that comprises a server in a server computing cloud that coordinates operation of one or more set-top boxes. The server may be operable to receive a request to display one or more frames of web content from the one or more set-top boxes. The server may be operable to receive one or more parameters associated with the one or more frames of the requested web content from the one or more set-top boxes. The server may be operable to dynamically encode at least a portion of one or more frames of the requested web content into one or more color spaces based on the received one or more parameters.

Abstract: A server may be used to handle at least some of processing of content retrieved via and/or derived from Internet access operations of a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs). Resource allocation and/or utilization, and/or tasks or applications performed in the server during the processing may be configured based on control data, which may be determined by the server and which may comprise capabilities of links between the server and each of the plurality of STBs, requirements of the tasks, characteristics of the content and/or the Internet access operations, user preferences and/or interactions, and/or content provider preferences. The server may dynamically reconfigure the tasks and/or resources based on monitoring of its operations and/or changes of the control data. Configuring tasks and/or resources may comprise time slicing access to resources that are commonly used during concurrent servicing of at least some of the plurality of STBs by the support server.

Abstract: An Internet capable set-top-box (STB) may be operable to extend a security boundary from the Internet capable STB to an application server to allow support of web browsing operations from the application server. A secure link between the Internet capable STB and the application server may be established. The Internet capable STB may communicate a request for web page information from a secure web server along with cryptographic credentials to the application server, via the secure link. The application server may be allowed to receive the web page information directly from the secure web server and process at least the unsupported portion of the received web page information. The Internet capable STB may then receive the web page information with at least the unsupported portion processed from the application server, via the secure link, for further processing and rendering.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for low-latency browsing on a device with limited processing resources are provided. In this regard, content may be retrieved and processed by a server on behalf of a client device, and the server may communicate the processed content to the client device. In processing the content, the server may process a portion of the content that will initially be displayed in a browser window by the client before processing one or more other (e.g., remaining) portion(s) of the content. The processed portion that will initially be displayed in the browser window may be communicated to the client device while a another portion of the content is processed by the server. In this manner, a user does not have to wait for an entire web page to be processed before at least a portion of the web page is viewable in the browser window.

Abstract: A server may be used to handle at least some of processing of content that is based on web access operations initiated in a set-top box (STB), wherein one or more links between the server and the STB that are used to forward multimedia broadcasts are configured to free bandwidth for communicating at least a portion of the processed content to the STB. The bandwidth may be freed based on switched digital video (SDV) and/or dedicated IPTV channels or systems. The broadcast links may be reconfigured based on monitoring of multimedia broadcast access by the STB and/or one or more other STBs. The freed bandwidth in the multimedia broadcast links may be configured for unicast transport of processed content to a specific STB, or may be configured for multicast transport of the processed content to a plurality of STBs.

Abstract: A media player may read three-dimensional (3D) video data comprising a plurality of view sequences of frames or fields from a media storage device, and may decimate one or more of the view sequences to enable transferring the video data to a display device. The media player may determine operational parameter(s) and/or transfer limitation(s) of a connecting subsystem used to transfer the video data to the display device. The decimation may be performed based on this determination of transfer limitation(s). The decimation may be performed temporally and/or spatially. The plurality of view sequences may comprise sequences of stereoscopic left and right view reference frames or fields. The decimation may be performed such that the removed data for each view sequence may be reconstructed, after reception, based on remaining data in the same view sequence and/or video data of other corresponding view sequences.

Abstract: A video processing device may enhance sharpness of one or more of a plurality of view sequences extracted from a three dimensional (3D) input video stream. The plurality of extracted view sequences may comprise stereoscopic left and right view sequences of reference fields or frames. The sharpness enhancement processing may be performed based on sharpness related video information, which may be derived from other sequences in the plurality of view sequences, user input, embedded control data, and/or preconfigured parameters. The sharpness related video information may enable classifying images in the 3D input video streams into different regions, and may comprise depth related data and/or point-of-focus related data. Sharpness enhancement processing may be performed variably on background and foreground regions, and/or on in-focus or out-of-focus regions. A 3D output video stream for display may be generated from the plurality of view sequences based on the sharpness processing.

Abstract: A video processing device may generate and/or capture a plurality of view sequences of video frames, decimate at least some of the plurality of view sequences, and may generating a three-dimension (3D) video stream comprising the plurality of view sequences based on that decimation. The decimation may be achieved by converting one or more of the plurality of view sequences from progressive to interlaced video. The interlacing may be performed by removing top or bottom fields in each frame of those one or more view sequences during the conversion to interlaced video. The removed fields may be selected based on corresponding conversion to interlaced video of one or more corresponding view sequences. The video processing device may determine bandwidth limitations existing during direct and/or indirect transfer or communication of the generated 3D video stream. The decimation may be performed based on this determination of bandwidth limitations.

Abstract: A video processing device may enhance contrast of one or more of a plurality of view sequences extracted from a three dimensional (3D) input video stream based on contrast information derived from other sequences in the plurality of view sequences. The view sequences that are subjected to contrast enhancement and/or whose contrast information may be utilized during contrast enhancement may be selected based on one or more selection criteria, which may comprise compression bitrate utilized during communication of the input video stream. The video processing device may also perform noise reduction on one or more of the plurality of extracted view sequences during contrast enhancement operations. Noise reduction may be performed using digital noise reduction (DNR). The nose reduction may be performed separately and/or independently on each view sequence in the plurality of extracted view sequences.

Abstract: A video processing device may generate a two dimensional (2D) output video stream from a three dimensional (3D) input video stream that comprises a plurality of view sequences. The plurality of view sequences may comprise sequences of stereoscopic left and right reference fields or frames. A view sequence may initially be selected as a base sequence for the 2D output video stream, and the 2D output video stream may be enhanced using video content and/or information from unselected view sequences. The video content and/or information utilized in enhancing the 2D output video stream may comprise depth information, and/or foreground and/or background information. The enhancement of the 2D input video stream may comprise improving depth, contrast, sharpness, and/or rate upconversion using frame and/or field based interpolation of images in the 2D output video stream.

Abstract: A video processing device may extract a plurality of view sequences from a three-dimensional (3D) input video stream and generate a plurality of graphics sequences that correspond to local graphics content. Each of the plurality of graphics sequences may be blended with a corresponding view sequence from the extracted plurality of view sequences to generate a plurality of combined sequences The local graphics content may comprise on-screen display (OSD) graphics, and may initially be generated as two-dimensional (2D) graphics. The plurality of graphics sequences may be generated from the local graphics content, based on, for example, video information for the input 3D video stream, user input, and/or preconfigured conversion data. After blending the view sequences with the graphics sequences, the video processing device may generate a 3D output video stream. The generated 3D output video stream may then be transformed to 2D video stream if 3D playback is not available.

Abstract: A video processing device may perform pulldown when generating an output video stream that corresponds to received input 3D video stream. The pulldown may be performed based on determined native characteristics of the received input 3D video stream and display parameters corresponding to display device used for presenting the generated output video stream. The native characteristics of the received input 3D video stream may comprise film mode, which may be used to determine capture frame rate. The display parameters may comprise scan mode and/or display frame rate. A left view or a right view frame in every group of frames in the input 3D video stream comprising two consecutive left view frames and corresponding two consecutive right view frames may be duplicated when the input 3D video stream comprises a film mode with 24 fps capture frame rate and the display device uses 60 Hz progressive scanning.

Abstract: 3D glasses may communicate with a video device that is used for playback of 3D video content to determine an operating mode used during the 3D video content playback and to synchronize viewing operations via the 3D glasses during the 3D video content playback based on the determined operating mode. Exemplary operating modes include polarization mode or shutter mode. The 3D video content may comprise stereoscopic left and right views. Polarization of the 3D glasses may be synchronized to polarization of the right and left views in polarization mode; whereas shuttering of the 3D glasses may be synchronized to the frequency of alternating rendering of right and left views in shuttering mode. Synchronization of the 3D glasses may be performed prior to start of the 3D video content playback and/or dynamically during the 3D video content playback. The 3D glasses may communicate with the video device via wireless interfaces.

Abstract: A 2D and/or 3D video processing device comprising a camera and a display captures images of a viewer as the viewer observes displayed 2D and/or 3D video content in a viewport. Face and/or eye tracking of viewer images is utilized to generate a different viewport. Current and different viewports may comprise 2D and/or 3D video content from a single source or from different sources. The sources of 2D and/or 3D content may be scrolled, zoomed and/or navigated through for generating the different viewport. Content for the different viewport may be processed. Images of a viewer's positions, angles and/or movements of face, facial expression, eyes and/or physical gestures are captured by the camera and interpreted by face and/or eye tracking. The different viewport may be generated for navigating through 3D content and/or for rotating a 3D object. The 2D and/or 3D video processing device communicates via wire, wireless and/or optical interfaces.

Abstract: A method and/or system are described for providing complete Internet anywhere with partial server processing in which a request may be sent from a set-top-box (STB) to a server communicatively coupled with the STB to process a portion of a web page that is unsupported by a web browser running on the STB. The STB may receive a data stream from the server, wherein the server generates the data stream by processing the unsupported portion of the web page. The web page may be composited in the web browser based on the received data stream. The server may be located in a server computing cloud or may be a local server. The unsupported portion of the web page may comprise a binary plug-in. A supported portion of the web page may be rendered before or concurrently with the overlaying of the data stream during compositing.