Abstract: In one example, a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) combines a value identifying itself with a cable modem Media Access Control (MAC) address stored in a provisioning request. The CMTS then relays the modified provisioning request to a provisioning server, which analyzes the value to identify a CMTS associated with the cable modem MAC address. Then, to regulate cable modem cloning or for other reasons, the provisioning server selects provisioning information for the cable modem according to the identified CMTS-MAC address association.

Abstract: A method and system for linking a web page to a portion of a video is provided. Users can enter comments into a video that include a start and end time index for identifying a portion of a video. Comments are indexed to the media presentations such that they may be searched and located, thus media playback can be executed from any comment. The system allocates a unique comment track to each user that can be turned on and off at will by users during playback.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises detecting that a user has requested presentation of a media content item from a media series having a prescribed sequence of media series events, the media content item containing a subsequent media series event from the media series; determining that the user has not consumed an antecedent media series event, the antecedent media series event not in the media content item and preceding the subsequent media series event in the prescribed sequence of media series events; and sending a message notifying the user that the user has not consumed at least the antecedent media series event, enabling the user to defer presentation of the media content item and consume the antecedent media series event.

Abstract: A unified web-based voice messaging system provides voice application control between a web browser and an application server via an hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) connection on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The application server, configured for executing a voice application defined by XML documents, selects an XML document for execution of a corresponding voice application operation based on a determined presence of a user-specific XML document that specifies the corresponding voice application operation. The application server, upon receiving a voice application operation request from a browser serving a user, dynamically generates a personalized HTML page having media content and control tags for personalized execution of the voice application operation. Hence, a user can personalize any number of voice application operations, enabling a web-based voice application to be completely customized or merely partially customized.

Abstract: Techniques for managing data in a distributed system include receiving first mobile data that includes non-routing data for a mobile node of multiple nodes in a distributed data system. The mobile node is associated with a first data item of multiple data items in the distributed data system. Non-routing data includes organizational data for data items in the distributed database or spatial data, or both. Spatial data includes at least one of a physical location, shape, size, and orientation. A non-topological relationship is determined between the first data item and a different second data item based on the non-routing data. Content is communicated with the mobile node based at least in part on the non-topological relationship. These techniques allow conservation of valuable network resources by communicating only data relevant to a recipient based on the spatial or organizational context of the communicating nodes.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises initiating neighbor discovery in response to detecting an absence of an IP destination address of a received data packet within a neighbor cache, including outputting a neighbor solicitation message targeting the IP destination address into a network served by the router, generating a hash index value based on the IP destination address combined with a randomized token stored in the router, and storing the data packet in a selected one of a plurality of pending message queues in the router based on the corresponding hash index value, each pending message queue configured for storing stored data packets having the corresponding hash index value and awaiting respective solicited neighbor advertisement messages from the network; and detecting whether the router is encountering a neighbor discovery denial of service attack based on a determined distribution of the stored data packets among the pending message queues.

Abstract: Load balancing across RF channels in a cable plant is challenging where individual cable modems have multiple receive/transmit channels. Load balancing may be taken into account in the assignments of channels to requesting modems in a registration process. Requesting modems may be registered in a sequence of descending order defined by the number of channels requested. Channel sets may be selected to minimize a maximum delta metric of load balancing. It is preferred to normalize the “weight” of a modem on a channel based on the modem capabilities. The relative weight may be inversely related to the number of channels supported by the modem. Load balancing techniques disclosed may be applied to both upstream and downstream channels. Current load balance quality is estimated and reported to an operator.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes a mesh point receiving mesh advertisement messages from advertising mesh points of a wireless mesh network having a mesh portal with a wired connection to a wired network. Each mesh advertisement message specifies a corresponding metric for reaching the mesh portal and has a corresponding signal strength indicator. An ordered group of parent access points, ordered based on the respective metrics, is generated from among the advertising mesh points, starting with a first parent access point having a corresponding optimum metric for reaching the mesh portal and independent of the corresponding signal strength indicator. A registration message is sent to each of the parent access points identifying a corresponding specified priority based on a corresponding position in the ordered group, for use by the corresponding parent access point in selecting a minimum interframe spacing for forwarding a wireless packet received from the mesh point.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises generating and displaying to a user a user selection interface, the user selection interface representing a plurality of content selection vectors extending from its origin and mapped to respectively distinct media attributes within a prescribed attribute type; detecting a user input that extends from the origin toward at least one of the content selection vectors and that identifies a selected position within the user selection interface; displaying to the user an updated user selection interface representing a corresponding updated origin at the selected position and representing a plurality of updated content selection vectors having a determined relation to the at least one content selection vector; and selecting and displaying at least one identifier for a corresponding video content element having the corresponding media attribute having a highest correlation with the at least one content selection vector relative to the selected position from the origin.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an access router, an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet that specifies a request for executing a preemptive service for data packets specifying a prescribed flow label field value identified in the request. The method further includes attempting authentication of the request by the access router based on a prescribed secure authentication protocol. The method further includes implementing the preemptive service by the access router based on the authentication of the request, including passing any IPv6 data packet received from a host node and having an IPv6 header specifying the prescribed flow label field value and satisfying a prescribed security condition, and limiting transfer of any data packet that does not specify the prescribed flow label field value or satisfy the prescribed security condition.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises identifying an identifiable video object from a video picture of a digital video having video content and commercial content, the video picture contained within the video content; encoding the identifiable video object as a video overlay object; encoding the commercial content based on generating a first key frame, and storing the video overlay object within the first key frame as an object that is not displayed as part of the commercial content; and encoding the video picture based on generating a second key frame that includes a default video object in place of the identifiable video object, the default video object including an overlay reference to the video overlay object within the first key frame, wherein unavailability of the video overlay object during rendering of the second key frame causes display of the default video object to visually corrupt the video picture.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises supplying, by a network node to a peer network node, a randomization seed assigned to the network node for generating a prescribed sequence of pseudorandom numbers according to a prescribed pseudorandom number generation function; encoding each data block having a corresponding position in an ordered sequence of a stream of data blocks, by the network node into a corresponding differentially-encoded data block based on applying a product of the corresponding data block and the corresponding pseudorandom number, having the corresponding position in the prescribed sequence, to a corresponding successively-preceding differentially-encoded data block from the prescribed ordered sequence, the data block recoverable solely based on a determined difference between the corresponding differentially-encoded data block and the corresponding successively-preceding differentially-encoded data block relative to the corresponding pseudorandom number; and outputting each differentially-e

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving by an agent a request from a network node for generation of a secure IPv6 address for use by the network node, the request including a selected subset of parameters selected by the network node and required for generation of the secure IPv6 address according to a prescribed secure address generation procedure, the selected subset including at least a public key owned by the network node; dynamically generating by the agent at least a second of the parameters required for generation of the secure IPv6 address; generating by the agent the secure IPv6 address based on the selected subset and the second of the parameters required for generation of the secure IPv6 address; and outputting, to the network node, an acknowledgment to the request and that includes the secure IPv6 address, and the parameters required for generation of the secure IPv6 address.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises detecting by a mesh access point a number of wireless network nodes that are attached to the mesh access point within a mesh network; calculating by the mesh access point an attachment preference factor that enables at least one other wireless network node to determine whether to attach to the mesh access point, wherein the mesh access point increases the attachment preference factor based on a corresponding increase in the number of wireless network nodes that are attached to the mesh access point; and outputting by the mesh access point the attachment preference factor, enabling the at least one other wireless network node to determine whether to attach to the mesh access point.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises initiating shutdown of network traffic of a line card while the line card is coupled to a connector chassis and exchanging network traffic, the initiating shutdown in response to actuation of a magnetic switch associated with the line card, the magnetic switch being actuated in response to movement of actuating structure that unlocks the line card for removal from the connector chassis; and completing the shutdown of network traffic in the line card prior to permitting complete removal of the line card from the connector chassis.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises detecting a user selection of media content having a prescribed quality and that is authorized for presentation to the user at the prescribed quality; detecting a media presentation device to be used in presenting the media content to the user; determining, relative to the prescribed quality of the media content, whether a higher-quality version of the media content is available for presentation to the user by the media presentation device; and selectively obtaining, for presentation to the user on the media presentation device, the higher-quality version of the media content based on detecting an authorized purchase of the higher-quality version of the media content to be presented to the user.

Abstract: A network provides distributed computing services based on participation in respective resource groups by computing nodes, each resource group including a corresponding resource requirement for any computing node that joins the corresponding resource group for execution of the corresponding distributed computing service. Each computing node, in response to determining its corresponding available node capacity, is configured for selectively creating and joining at least one new resource group for execution of a corresponding distributed computing service having a corresponding resource requirement, and/or selectively joining at least one of the available resource groups, based on the corresponding available node capacity satisfying the corresponding resource requirement. Each computing node also is configured for selectively leaving any one of the joined resource groups based on determined conditions.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) router receiving sensor data from at least one of a second IP router or an attached host sensor node, the sensor data distinct from link data of a network link; the IP router generating sensor information based on storing the sensor data with metadata describing reception of the sensor data by the IP router in a routing information base; and the IP router executing a routing operation based on the sensor information stored in the routing information base.

Abstract: Each data file of a distributed file system is identified by a corresponding globally-unique object identifier that is independent of any attribute of the data file. A node in the distributed file system has a file system that includes a plurality of directory entries, where each directory entry has a file name field, an attributes field, and an object identifier field configured for specifying a globally-unique object identifier. The globally-unique object identifier is universally reachable by any node of the distributed file system and uniquely identifies the data file, enabling the data file to be universally identifiable by any node based on the corresponding object identifier. The data file can be stored independently of a device file system based on providing a resolution between the data file name and its object identifier, followed by a resolution between the object identifier and a selected location for the data file.

Abstract: A search system generates an ordered list of destination targets including identified individuals and data objects, based on applying a user context to an information context and to a connection context. The user context identifies a search context (i.e., the information the user is seeking) relative to an identity of the user, and the information context identifies destinations accessible by the user, including data objects and communications-based actions (e.g., voice over IP telephony calls, instant messaging session transcripts, etc.). The connection context identifies relationships between chosen destinations throughout the system, and the strength of those relationships determined from artifacts of the chosen destinations: the connection context is updated based on artifact detection. The portion of the connection context that is relevant to the user context is used to order the portion of the information context that is relevant to the user context, resulting in the ordered list of destination targets.