Abstract: An application is to be synchronised with an audio content intended to be consumed by a consumer terminal. The content is provided in the form of a stream of audio data time-stamped according to a first time reference. The application is executed according to a second time reference. Synchronising the application with the audio content comprises steps of: obtaining (6.4) audio data of said time-stamped content, on the basis of the second time reference, in order to indicate respective instants at which said audio data is consumed by said consumer terminal; determining (6.6) information on the correlation between the audio data; determining (6.7) information on the time offset between the first and second time references on the basis of the determined correlation information and of data time-stamping information; and synchronising the application with said content on the basis of this time-offset information.

Abstract: Process for placing a multimedia object comprising at least one elemental data stream in memory by a terminal receiving the said elemental stream or streams, the said stream or streams being received by the terminal in the form of data packets comprising a data part and a header comprising serial numbers, comprising a stage of placing the data parts of packets received in a data object, a stage of creating a hint track comprising elemental records relating to data packets, these elemental records being placed in memory in sequence according to the serial numbers of the packets received and including a reference to the data in the said packets within the data object, and further comprising a stage of creating elemental records corresponding to non-received packets within the said hint track, these elemental records being placed in memory in the sequence in the locations where the corresponding elemental records would have been placed in memory had the packets been received.

Abstract: Process for placing a multimedia object comprising at least one elemental data stream in memory by a terminal receiving the said elemental stream or streams, the said stream or streams being received by the terminal in the form of data packets comprising a data part and a header comprising serial numbers, comprising a stage of placing the data parts of packets received in a data object, a stage of creating a hint track comprising elemental records relating to data packets, these elemental records being placed in memory in sequence according to the serial numbers of the packets received and including a reference to the data in the said packets within the data object, and further comprising a stage of creating elemental records corresponding to non-received packets within the said hint track, these elemental records being placed in memory in the sequence in the locations where the corresponding elemental records would have been placed in memory had the packets been received.

Abstract: An add/drop node for an optical network comprises a passive splitter to split an ingress signal from the network into a first ingress signal and a second ingress signal. A first amplified splitter stages module is operable to passively split and amplify the first ingress signal into a plurality of drop signals. A filter module is operable to filter the second ingress signal to provide a filtered pass-through signal. A second amplified splitter stages module is operable to passively combine a plurality of add signals into a combined add signal and to combine the combined add signal with the filtered pass-through signal to create an egress signal forwardable to the network.

Abstract: A system for distributing optical signals comprises a plurality of optical splitter stages. The optical splitter stages are each operable to passively split each of one or more optical signals provided to the stage into a plurality of optical signals. At least one of the optional splitter stages comprises an amplification stage, with the amplification stage including a plurality of gain media. The gain media are each operable to amplify an optical signal with pump power.

Abstract: An optical cross-connect includes multiple input ports that each receive an optical input signal and multiple output ports that each output an optical output signal. The optical cross-connect also includes a distributing amplifier associated with each input port that generates multiple copies of the input signal received at the associated input port. Furthermore, the optical cross-connect includes multiple filter units that receive a copy of one or more of the input signals from one or more of the distributing amplifiers and forward traffic in selected channels of one or more of the received copies. In addition, the optical cross-connect includes a combining amplifier associated with each output port. Each combining amplifier receives the traffic in one or more of the channels forwarded by one or more of the filter units and combines the received traffic into an output signal to be output from the associated output port.

Abstract: An add/drop node for an optical network comprises a passive splitter to split an ingress signal from the network into a first ingress signal and a second ingress signal. A first amplified splitter stages module is operable to passively split and amplify the first ingress signal into a plurality of drop signals. A filter module is operable to filter the second ingress signal to provide a filtered pass-through signal. A second amplified splitter stages module is operable to passively combine a plurality of add signals into a combined add signal and to combine the combined add signal with the filtered pass-through signal to create an egress signal forwardable to the network.

Abstract: A system for distributing optical signals comprises a plurality of optical splitter stages. The optical splitter stages are each operable to passively split each of one or more optical signals provided to the stage into a plurality of optical signals. At least one of the optional splitter stages comprises an amplification stage, with the amplification stage including a plurality of gain media. The gain media are each operable to amplify an optical signal with pump power.