Abstract: A method includes receiving at least one event parameter for a demand response event and identifying a pool of customers. The pool of customers includes a plurality of customers potentially usable to support the demand response event. Characteristics of each customer in the pool of customers are retrieved and a plurality of groups of customers are created from the pool of customers based on the retrieved characteristics and the at least one event parameter.

Abstract: A method includes receiving at least one event parameter for a demand response event and identifying a pool of customers. The pool of customers includes a plurality of customers potentially usable to support the demand response event. Characteristics of each customer in the pool of customers are retrieved and a plurality of groups of customers are created from the pool of customers based on the retrieved characteristics and the at least one event parameter.

Abstract: The invention supports visual fast-forward play and rewind at multiple speeds using a single ancillary data stream. The storage required by this data stream is approximately the same as the storage required by a single ancillary data stream used in conventional single speed fast-forward and rewind schemes. The method of the invention includes the following steps. A bitstream of the original sequence of MPEG compressed pictures is stored for normal play. Then a sub-sequence of the original sequence, consisting of every n-th picture, is compressed as I-pictures, while ensuring that all pictures in the compressed stream have equal numbers of bits. This is the ancillary stream. A client request for fast-forward play is responded to by transmitting a subset of I-pictures from the ancillary stream. A fast-reverse play request is satisfied in the same manner except that the I-frames are transmitted in the reverse order.

Abstract: A system and method of using multiple processors to perform video compression is provided. A video sequence is partitioned into subsequences and processing assignments for the subsequences are distributed among a plurality of processors. A picture type is then determined for each picture in each subsequence and the encoding complexity of each picture is modeled, based on the picture type. Based on the modeling, a number of bits is allocated to each picture. Each picture is then compressed in accordance with the bits allocated. Another aspect provides for encoding of pictures in a video sequence using dynamic modeling of the encoding complexity of future pictures in the video sequence. Bits are allocated to the encoding of a current picture in the video sequence based on the dynamic model. The current picture is then encoded based on the bits allocated.

Abstract: A video decoder/format/frame rate converter with common memory is provided. This device decodes a compressed, interlaced video stream and converts the decoded output to a non-interlaced format and/or a format with a different frame rate.

Abstract: A system and method of using multiple processors to perform video compression is provided. A video sequence is partitioned into subsequences and processing assignments for the subsequences are distributed among a plurality of processors. A picture type is then determined for each picture in each subsequence and the encoding complexity of each picture is modeled, based on the picture type. Based on the modeling, a number of bits is allocated to each picture. Each picture is then compressed in accordance with the bits allocated. Another aspect provides for encoding of pictures in a video sequence using dynamic modeling of the encoding complexity of future pictures in the video sequence. Bits are allocated to the encoding of a current picture in the video sequence based on the dynamic model. The current picture is then encoded based on the bits allocated.

Abstract: A system and method for repeat field detection for use in rate conversion and video encoding of the type contemplated by the MPEG standards. Before encoding a frame, first field in the current frame is compared to the previously occurring field of the same parity. Next, a single number (the inter-field parameter) is generated, which is a measure of the difference between the two fields. If the inter-field parameter is below a threshold a signal is generated to indicate that the current field is a repeat of the previous field of the same parity. Otherwise, the signal is generated to indicate that the field is not a repeat of the previous field of the same parity (i.e. the field likely contains at least one small area of motion).