Abstract: In order to transition to digital television services, existing analog televisions require additional equipment that can decode received digital data streams. Devices of this sort are readily available, however they can become expensive as the feature list expands. The present invention provides a low-cost digital television settop or the like, with built-in digital decoding and analog signal pass-through capabilities. The tuner within an analog television receives (i) passed through analog television channels and (ii) digital channels that have been converted to analog signals and placed on a predetermined analog television channel.

Abstract: A packetized-data processing apparatus includes a memory configured to store core groups of packetized data, a channel coupled to the memory and having a total bandwidth for transferring packets of data from the core groups, and a scheduler operatively coupled to the memory and the channel and configured to allocate amounts of the total bandwidth of the channel to each of the core groups that is backlogged, while limiting the amount of allocated bandwidth, and a corresponding transfer rate of packets of data, for each core group to a maximum allowable bandwidth for each core group, to schedule transfer of packetized data of the core groups from the memory to the channel in accordance with the respective amounts of allocated bandwidth for the core groups.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for creating a Program Association Table (PAT) for a reduced portion of a multiplexed data stream, when the multiplexed data stream has been reduced, for example, to carry fewer services over a cable television plant. More particularly, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for creating a PAT for a desired combination of multiplexed data stream subgroups contained within an incoming data stream, when the incoming multiplexed data stream is reduced. The invention enables a new PAT to be output which correctly corresponds to the services in a reduced data stream (e.g., for cable-side transmissions). The present invention is particularly useful when reducing high data rate satellite television data streams for cable-side transmission.

Abstract: An IEEE 1394 compliant wireless bridge for connecting local area network segments in multiple rooms. A pair of transceiver units each comply with IEEE 1394 for connectivity and communication with local area network devices. The transceiver units operate using high frequencies and low power levels over very short ranges to communicate data and control signals between rooms. Transmissions are short range and highly directional and thereby do not interfere with other local transmissions.

Abstract: A method includes constructing a data pattern for generating a reference signal to measure a specific channel characteristic, inserting the data pattern in an Internet Control Message Protocol echo request, transmitting an Internet Control Message Protocol echo request from a primary station across a shared physical medium to a secondary station, receiving the echo request at the secondary station, transmitting an Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply in response to the echo request across the shared physical medium to the primary station, receiving the echo reply at the primary station, measuring a bit slicer error of the Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply, and characterizing the channel quality of the communications channel as a function of the bit slicer error.

Abstract: An adaptive and dynamic forward error correction scheme for a communication channel is disclosed. The method and apparatus calculates the actual bit error rate for comparison with a target bit error rate. When a channel is performing better than required by the performance specifications, the forward error correction power can be reduced to provide greater throughput. If the calculated actual bit error rate is greater than the target bit error rate, then the forward error correction power is increased in an attempt to lower the calculated bit error rate. A feedback loop is employed to continually calculate revised bit error rates as the forward error correction power is increased or decreased.