Abstract: A method of encoding data operates on an ordered set of input symbols and includes generating redundant symbols from the input symbols, and includes generating output symbols from a combined set of symbols including the input symbols and the redundant symbols, wherein the number of possible output symbols is much larger than the number of the combined set of symbols, wherein at least one output symbol is generated from more than one symbol in the combined set of symbols and from less than all of the symbols in the combined set of symbols. The redundant symbols are generated from an ordered set of input symbols in a deterministic process such that a first set of static symbols calculated using a first input symbol has a low common membership with a second set of static symbols calculated using a second input symbol distinct from the first input symbol.

Abstract: A communications system can provide methods of dynamically interleaving streams, including methods for dynamically introducing greater amounts of interleaving as a stream is transmitted independently of any source block structure to spread out losses or errors in the channel over a much larger period of time within the original stream than if interleaving were not introduced, provide superior protection against packet loss or packet corruption when used with FEC coding, provide superior protection against network jitter, and allow content zapping time and the content transition time to be reduced to a minimum and minimal content transition times. Streams may be partitioned into sub-streams, delivering the sub-streams to receivers along different paths through a network and receiving concurrently different sub-streams at a receiver sent from potentially different servers.

Abstract: A method of encoding data for transmission from a source to a destination over a communications channel is provided. The method operates on an ordered set of input symbols and includes generating a plurality of redundant symbols from the input symbols. The method also includes generating a plurality of output symbols from a combined set of symbols including the input symbols and the redundant symbols, wherein the number of possible output symbols is much larger than the number of symbols in the combined set of symbols, wherein at least one output symbol is generated from more than one symbol in the combined set of symbols and from less than all of the symbols in the combined set of symbols, and such that the ordered set of input symbols can be regenerated to a desired degree of accuracy from any predetermined number of the output symbols.

Abstract: An encoder uses an input file of data and a key to produce an output symbol. An output symbol with key I is generated by determining a weight, W(I), for the output symbol to be generated, selecting W(I) of the input symbols associated with the output symbol according to a function of I, and generating the output symbol's value B(I) from a predetermined value function F(I) of the selected W(I) input symbols. An encoder can be called repeatedly to generate multiple output symbols. The output symbols are generally independent of each other, and an unbounded number (subject to the resolution of I) can be generated, if needed. A decoder receives some or all of the output symbols generated. The number of output symbols needed to decode an input file is equal to, or slightly greater than, the number of input symbols comprising the file, assuming that input symbols and output symbols represent the same number of bits of data.

Abstract: A method of encoding data into a chain reaction code includes generating a set of input symbols from input data. Subsequently, one or more non-systematic output symbols is generated from the set of input symbols, each of the one or more non-systematic output symbols being selected from an alphabet of non-systematic output symbols, and each non-systematic output symbol generated as a function of one or more of the input symbols. As a result of this encoding process, any subset of the set of input symbols is recoverable from (i) a predetermined number of non-systematic output symbols, or (ii) a combination of (a) input symbols which are not included in the subset of input symbols that are to be recovered, and (b) one or more of the non-systematic output symbols.

Abstract: A method of encoding data into a chain reaction code includes generating a set of input symbols from input data. Subsequently, one or more non-systematic output symbols is generated from the set of input symbols, each of the one or more non-systematic output symbols being selected from an alphabet of non-systematic output symbols, and each non-systematic output symbol generated as a function of one or more of the input symbols. As a result of this encoding process, any subset of the set of input symbols is recoverable from (i) a predetermined number of non-systematic output symbols, or (ii) a combination of (a) input symbols which are not included in the subset of input symbols that are to be recovered, and (b) one or more of the non-systematic output symbols.

Abstract: A method of encoding data for transmission from a source to a destination over a communications channel is provided. The method operates on an ordered set of input symbols and includes generating a plurality of redundant symbols from the input symbols based on linear constraints. The method also includes generating a plurality of output symbols from a combined set of symbols including the input symbols and the redundant symbols based on linear combinations, wherein at least one of the linear constraints or combinations is over a first finite field and at least one other of the linear constraints or combinations is over a different second finite field, and such that the ordered set of input symbols can be regenerated to a desired degree of accuracy from any predetermined number of the output symbols.

Abstract: A broadcasting system for communicating data to multiple receivers using information additive code includes one or more information additive code transmitters and one or more information additive code receivers. Each of the information additive code transmitters includes an encoder configured to receive source data and to produce information additive code therefrom. Each of the information additive code receivers includes a decoder configured to receive the information additive code and to reconstruct therefrom substantially a copy of the source data.

Abstract: A media object is scheduled for transmission between a server and a client. The media object is partitioned into segments of blocks, wherein each block is a unit of media for which a client will wait to receive an entire block before playing out the block, and wherein each segment includes an integer number of blocks. One or more channels on which to serve each segment are determined, and a rate at which to serve each segment is determined. Additionally, a schedule pair for each channel is determined. The schedule pair includes a time at which the client may start receiving on the channel and a time at which the client may stop receiving on the channel.

Abstract: An encoder uses an input file of data and a key to produce an output symbol. An output symbol with key I is generated by determining a weight, W(I), for the output symbol to be generated, selecting W(I) of the input symbols associated with the output symbol according to a function of I, and generating the output symbol's value B(I) from a predetermined value function F(I) of the selected W(I) input symbols. An encoder can be called repeatedly to generate multiple output symbols. The output symbols are generally independent of each other, and an unbounded number (subject to the resolution of I) can be generated, if needed. A decoder receives some or all of the output symbols generated. The number of output symbols needed to decode an input file is equal to, or slightly greater than, the number of input symbols comprising the file, assuming that input symbols and output symbols represent the same number of bits of data.

Abstract: Multiple files a served using a server coupled to a data network. A plurality of files is determined, wherein a file includes an integer number of blocks, and wherein each block includes at least one input symbol. For each file, an indication of at least one channel on which to serve the file is determined, and, for each file, a rate at which to serve the file is determined. Also, a schedule for processing the blocks is determined, and output symbols for the blocks are generated according to the schedule. The output symbols are transmitted on the corresponding at least one channel, wherein the files are concurrently served at their corresponding rates.

Abstract: An encoder uses an input file of data and a key to produce an output symbol. An output symbol with key I is generated by determining a weight, W(I), for the output symbol to be generated, selecting W(I) of the input symbols associated with the output symbol according to a function of I, and generating the output symbol's value B(I) from a predetermined value function F(I) of the selected W(I) input symbols. An encoder can be called repeatedly to generate multiple output symbols. The output symbols are generally independent of each other, and an unbounded number (subject to the resolution of I) can be generated, if needed. A decoder receives some or all of the output symbols generated. The number of output symbols needed to decode an input file is equal to, or slightly greater than, the number of input symbols comprising the file, assuming that input symbols and output symbols represent the same number of bits of data.

Abstract: A method of encoding data into a chain reaction code includes generating a set of input symbols from input data. Subsequently, one or more non-systematic output symbols is generated from the set of input symbols, each of the one or more non-systematic output symbols being selected from an alphabet of non-systematic output symbols, and each non-systematic output symbol generated as a function of one or more of the input symbols. As a result of this encoding process, any subset of the set of input symbols is recoverable from (i) a predetermined number of non-systematic output symbols, or (ii) a combination of (a) input symbols which are not included in the subset of input symbols that are to be recovered, and (b) one or more of the non-systematic output symbols.

Abstract: A method of encoding data into a chain reaction code includes generating a set of input symbols from input data. Subsequently, one or more non-systematic output symbols is generated from the set of input symbols, each of the one or more non-systematic output symbols being selected from an alphabet of non-systematic output symbols, and each non-systematic output symbol generated as a function of one or more of the input symbols. As a result of this encoding process, any subset of the set of input symbols is recoverable from (i) a predetermined number of non-systematic output symbols, or (ii) a combination of (a) input symbols which are not included in the subset of input symbols that are to be recovered, and (b) one or more of the non-systematic output symbols.

Abstract: An encoder uses an input file of data and a key to produce an output symbol. An output symbol with key I is generated by determining a weight, W(I), for the output symbol to be generated, selecting W(I) of the input symbols associated with the output symbol according to a function of I, and generating the output symbol's value B(I) from a predetermined value function F(I) of the selected W(I) input symbols. An encoder can be called repeatedly to generate multiple output symbols. The output symbols are generally independent of each other, and an unbounded number (subject to the resolution of I) can be generated, if needed. A decoder receives some or all of the output symbols generated. The number of output symbols needed to decode an input file is equal to, or slightly greater than, the number of input symbols comprising the file, assuming that input symbols and output symbols represent the same number of bits of data.

Abstract: An encoder uses an input file of data and a key to produce an output symbol. An output symbol with key I is generated by determining a weight, W(I), for the output symbol to be generated, selecting W(I) of the input symbols associated with the output symbol according to a function of I, and generating the output symbol's value B(I) from a predetermined value function F(I) of the selected W(I) input symbols. An encoder can be called repeatedly to generate multiple output symbols. The output symbols are generally independent of each other, and an unbounded number (subject to the resolution of I) can be generated, if needed. A decoder receives some or all of the output symbols generated. The number of output symbols needed to decode an input file is equal to, or slightly greater than, the number of input symbols comprising the file, assuming that input symbols and output symbols represent the same number of bits of data.

Abstract: An encoder uses an input file of data and a key to produce an output symbol. An output symbol with key I is generated by determining a weight, W(I), for the output symbol to be generated, selecting W(I) of the input symbols associated with the output symbol according to a function of I, and generating the output symbol's value B(I) from a predetermined value function F(I) of the selected W(I) input symbols. An encoder can be called repeatedly to generate multiple output symbols. The output symbols are generally independent of each other, and an unbounded number (subject to the resolution of I) can be generated, if needed. A decoder receives some or all of the output symbols generated. The number of output symbols needed to decode an input file is equal to, or slightly greater than, the number of input symbols comprising the file, assuming that input symbols and output symbols represent the same number of bits of data.

Abstract: An encoder encodes an output symbol from input symbols of an input file by determining, for a given output symbol, a list AL that indicates W associated input symbols, within a subset S of the input symbols comprising the input file, to be associated with the output symbol, where W is a positive integer, where at least two output symbols have different values for W associated therewith, where W is greater than one for at least one output symbol, and where the number of possible output symbols is much larger than the number of input symbols in the input file, and generating an output symbol value from a predetermined function of the W associated input symbols indicated by AL. The subset S can be a window that slides over the input file to cover all of the input symbols in a period. The window can be a fixed or variable size. Where the window moves over the file and reaches an edge, the window can wrap around or can cover extended input symbols.

Abstract: A media object is scheduled for transmission between a server and a client. The media object is partitioned into segments of blocks, wherein each block is a unit of media for which a client will wait to receive an entire block before playing out the block, and wherein each segment includes an integer number of blocks. One or more channels on which to serve each segment are determined, and a rate at which to serve each segment is determined. Additionally, a schedule pair for each channel is determined. The schedule pair includes a time at which the client may start receiving on the channel and a time at which the client may stop receiving on the channel.

Abstract: Multiple files a served using a server coupled to a data network. A plurality of files is determined, wherein a file includes an integer number of blocks, and wherein each block includes at least one input symbol. For each file, an indication of at least one channel on which to serve the file is determined, and, for each file, a rate at which to serve the file is determined. Also, a schedule for processing the blocks is determined, and output symbols for the blocks are generated according to the schedule. The output symbols are transmitted on the corresponding at least one channel, wherein the files are concurrently served at their corresponding rates.