Abstract: Described are techniques for determining whether to move data between devices. A first cost metric is determined for a first device and a second device. At least one portion of data is selected for movement from one of the first device and the second device to another of the first device and the second device. A second cost metric is determined for the first device and the second device based on moving said at least one portion of data between said first device and said second device. It is determined using the first cost metric and the second cost metric whether to move the at least one portion of data.

Abstract: Described is data storage system modeling. Received at a first data storage system is information representing a workload for I/O operations directed to a logical devices having storage provisioned on physical devices of a second data storage system. Information representing the workload may be obtained by performing discovery processing to discover performance characteristics of the physical devices of the second data storage system. Discovery processing may include receiving, at the first data storage system, I/O operations from a client directed to the set of one or more logical devices having storage provisioned on the physical devices of the second data storage system. The I/O operations are then issued to the second data storage system. In response, performance data is obtained at the first data storage system representing the workload for the plurality of I/O operations. Performance of the second data storage system is modeled in accordance with the workload.

Abstract: Example embodiments herein provide for efficient distribution of content in a content distribution network (CDN) by a CDN server. The content is efficiently distributed by associating live content and time-shifted content with a common resource identifier, which may (in some instances) avoid re-transporting content across the network. To facilitate this, an entry point CDN server is configured to map the common resource identifier to a permanent storage location (that is itself associated with a different resource identifier) after expiration of the live viewing period.

Abstract: A method is described that includes receiving a program request from a transceiver that includes a program request to receive a video program at the transceiver. The method also includes determining an amount of bandwidth on a channel available to the transceiver. The method further includes determining whether to provide a unicast stream or a multicast stream to deliver the requested video program to the transceiver in response to the program request based on a result obtained after implementing a policy control function that considers an amount of bandwidth on the channel to the transceiver. The method further includes formatting and selecting an incoming media stream in accordance with the result of the policy control function to provide a corresponding formatted unicast or multicast media stream that includes video data for the requested video program. The method further includes outputting the associated formatted unicast or multicast media stream on the channel.

Abstract: Described are techniques for configuring data storage. A plurality of devices is selected. It is determined, for each of the plurality of devices, whether data for said each device should be located in a first storage tier or another storage tier. The first storage tier is higher performance storage tier than the other storage tier. For each of the plurality of devices that the determining step determines should be located in the first storage tier, data of said each device is automatically located on a physical storage device of the first storage tier.

Abstract: A method of delivering a variable bit rate (VBR) media stream in near real time includes identifying a selected media asset to be streamed to a media receiver, receiving an available access bandwidth at which the media receiver can receive data, and initiating a session setup for delivery of the selected media asset. The method further includes calculating a delay in decoding a media stream associated with the selected media asset at the media receiver based on the available access bandwidth, and a calculated required minimum transmission rate of a VBR media stream representative of the selected media asset. The method further includes transmitting the selected media asset at the required minimum transmission rate of the VBR media stream and providing the calculated delay to the media receiver such that the media receiver begins decoding the media stream in accordance with the calculated delay.

Abstract: A technique for managing the distribution of digital video content to multiple end-user devices is disclosed. The technique involves statistically multiplexing multiple VBR encoded video streams into an access channel, such as a data over cable service interface specifications (DOCSIS) bonded group, and utilizing quality of service capabilities of an edge device, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS) or an edge quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) device, to buffer and schedule IP packets, which carry the VBR encoded video streams, so that packets are not dropped during periods of congestion. Utilizing the quality of service capabilities of an edge device makes it possible to statistically multiplex VBR encoded video streams in a narrowcast application such as Video on Demand (VOD) or Switched Digital Video (SDV) while eliminating the need for process intensive transrating/transcoding operations.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is described that includes receiving a conditioned bitstream that includes a digital insertion location and primary network packets that contain compressed video data. The digital insertion location includes replaceable network packets. The method also includes receiving a second bitstream that includes replacement compressed video data. The method also includes determining a location of the digital insertion location. The method further includes adjusting the bitrate of the replacement compressed video data to create adjusted replacement compressed video data. The method further includes providing timestamp information with the replacement compressed video data. The method additionally includes packetizing the adjusted replacement compressed video data and timestamp information into replacement network packets.

Abstract: A technique for supporting over-the-top video-on-demand separates metadata ingest and real content ingest such that navigation needs only the metadata ingest to have been completed. The real content ingest can occur later if the navigation results in the real content being selected and if the selected content has not been ingested already. Additionally, content identifiers with limited range are used over and over to identify a practically unlimited range of available over-the-top content by mapping virtual content identifiers to dynamic content. The content metadata and real content ingest are synchronized on a video-on-demand system using the dynamically allocated content identifiers. Playlists can be virtualized with a logical content identifier which maps to a list of virtual content identifiers. Existing video-on-demand infrastructures can simultaneously support both static and dynamic content with preexisting video-on-demand back offices and video-on-demand clients.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processing device is coupled between at least one content source and at least one subscriber device within an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) system in order to receive a plurality of service flows from the at least one content source and to process multicast service flow requests from the at least one subscriber device. The processing device includes a map module to map a service flow from a content source to a multicast service flow based on a multicast service flow request from a particular subscriber device and a unicast module to assign a unique identifier to the mapped multicast service flow to convert the mapped multicast service flow to a unicast delivery of the mapped multicast service flow to the particular subscriber device.

Abstract: A wireless mobile communication device is provided. The wireless mobile communication device has, a wireless communication module for performing wireless communications, a hands-free conversation module for providing a hands-free mode of a phone conversation during the wireless communications, a speed value generation module for receiving location or velocity information to generate a speed value, and a hands-free mode controller for determining whether the speed value has exceeded a predetermined threshold value, and activating the hands-free conversation module in response to the speed value exceeding the predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: Off-path admission control signaling in the presence of a network address translation (NAT) device may be provided. In response to a request for a content asset, a placeholder classifier may be created. The placeholder classifier may be used to allocate resources for providing the content asset to the client from a content server. The content server may communicate with the client, traversing the NAT device to identify a destination address and port for the client to which the content will be provided. The placeholder classifier may then be updated with the destination address and port.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a system for managing bandwidth usage in a content delivery system such as a Video on Demand (VOD) network. Specifically, an Edge Resource Manager (ERM) makes use of a number of policies to optimally select a transmission device such as a Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) device. The policies aid in providing efficient use of the transmission devices particularly when a number of different transmission rates for different media are employed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processing device is coupled between at least one content source and at least one subscriber device within an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) system in order to receive a plurality of service flows from the at least one content source and to process multicast service flow requests from the at least one subscriber device. The processing device includes a map module to map a service flow from a content source to a multicast service flow based on a multicast service flow request from a particular subscriber device and a unicast module to assign a unique identifier to the mapped multicast service flow to convert the mapped multicast service flow to a unicast delivery of the mapped multicast service flow to the particular subscriber device.

Abstract: A method of delivering a variable bit rate (VBR) media stream in near real time includes identifying a selected media asset to be streamed to a media receiver, receiving an available access bandwidth at which the media receiver can receive data, and initiating a session setup for delivery of the selected media asset. The method further includes calculating a delay in decoding a media stream associated with the selected media asset at the media receiver based on the available access bandwidth, and a calculated required minimum transmission rate of a VBR media stream representative of the selected media asset. The method further includes transmitting the selected media asset at the required minimum transmission rate of the VBR media stream and providing the calculated delay to the media receiver such that the media receiver begins decoding the media stream in accordance with the calculated delay.

Abstract: A resource reservation and admission control scheme uses pseudowires to reserve bandwidth over a layer-2 and/or layer-3 network. The pseudowires are associated with ports on different network processing devices. During a resource reservation and admission control session, the physical links used by the pseudowire are selected and reserved to more effectively allocate network bandwidth. The negotiated pseudowire is then used to transport content for a communication session over the network. In one example application, the resource reservation and admission control scheme is used during a Downstream External PHY Interface (DEPI) session for pseudowires established between a Modular Cable Modem Termination System (M-CMTS) Core and an Edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulation Interface (EQAM) device. However, the reservation protocol can be used in any application that needs to reserve bandwidth over an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

Abstract: A technique for supporting over-the-top video-on-demand separates metadata ingest and real content ingest such that navigation needs only the metadata ingest to have been completed. The real content ingest can occur later if the navigation results in the real content being selected and if the selected content has not been ingested already. Additionally, content identifiers with limited range are used over and over to identify a practically unlimited range of available over-the-top content by mapping virtual content identifiers to dynamic content. The content metadata and real content ingest are synchronized on a video-on-demand system using the dynamically allocated content identifiers. Playlists can be virtualized with a logical content identifier which maps to a list of virtual content identifiers. Existing video-on-demand infrastructures can simultaneously support both static and dynamic content with preexisting video-on-demand back offices and video-on-demand clients.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are generally directed to processing of an obtained iris image. An iris is image is segmented for use in a biometric recognition scheme.

Abstract: A technique for managing the distribution of digital video content to multiple end-user devices is disclosed. The technique involves statistically multiplexing multiple VBR encoded video streams into an access channel, such as a data over cable service interface specifications (DOCSIS) bonded group, and utilizing quality of service capabilities of an edge device, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS) or an edge quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) device, to buffer and schedule IP packets, which carry the VBR encoded video streams, so that packets are not dropped during periods of congestion. Utilizing the quality of service capabilities of an edge device makes it possible to statistically multiplex VBR encoded video streams in a narrowcast application such as Video on Demand (VOD) or Switched Digital Video (SDV) while eliminating the need for process intensive transrating/transcoding operations.

Abstract: A method is described that includes receiving a program request from a transceiver that includes a program request to receive a video program at the transceiver. The method also includes determining an amount of bandwidth on a channel available to the transceiver. The method further includes determining whether to provide a unicast stream or a multicast stream to deliver the requested video program to the transceiver in response to the program request based on a result obtained after implementing a policy control function that considers an amount of bandwidth on the channel to the transceiver. The method further includes formatting and selecting an incoming media stream in accordance with the result of the policy control function to provide a corresponding formatted unicast or multicast media stream that includes video data for the requested video program. The method further includes outputting the associated formatted unicast or multicast media stream on the channel.