Abstract: Provided is an enhancement to the Video Encoder component of the MPEG standard to improve both the efficiency and quality of the video presentation at the display device.

Abstract: A transmitting and receiving device share a secret which is split into first and second portions. A public function is used to generate a keystream. The length of the keystream is adjusted to equal the length of a message plus the length of the output of an MMH function. The MMH function is calculated as a function of the message and the adjusted keystream. Each L octets, L is the octet length of a MAC, of the output of the MMH function is accumulated into a summation value, which is concatenated with the second secret portion into a concatenation value. The output of the public function, now calculated as a function of the concatenation value, is used in place of a traditional one-time pad to generate the MAC which is sent along with the message to the receiving device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring and budgeting television viewing in order to influence and manage television-viewing habits in a manner that promotes self-monitoring. Example embodiments provide a Content Viewer Control System (“CVCS”), which enables devices and systems connected to a head-end, such as through a standard set-top box or a media center, to track and potentially control differing aspects of television viewing according to a viewing budget. For example, the CVCS can allow tracking and control over what content is viewed according to a variety of criteria, during which time periods, and for what duration on an individual or on a per-location basis, and/or based upon other configurable parameters. In summary, the CVCS receives notification of content as potential viewing events, compares a potential viewing event to stored viewing budget “allocations,” and reconciles the potential viewing event against the viewing budget.

Abstract: A predetermined current frequency is selected for a cable modem or embedded media terminal adapter to evaluate for presence of a CMTS signal. A determination is made whether the current frequency carries signal energy as opposed to just noise. If no signal energy is detected, the current frequency is changed by ½ of a channel width to a new frequency, which becomes the current frequency, and the determination is re-performed. If the determination of the current frequency indicates that signal energy is present, but not CMTS energy, then a new frequency indicates that selected that differs from the current frequency by 1 MHz. If the determination at the current frequency indicates that CMTS signal energy is present, but QAM lock cannot be achieved, then a new frequency is selected by changing from the current frequency by a full channel width.

Abstract: A remote control for a digital video recorder includes an integrated display screen configured to display a recording list including programs scheduled to be recorded.

Abstract: A test system couples various ports of one or more CPE devices to components mounted in a rigid mounting system. The system can test the line card portion of the CPE devices coupled to line card interface equipment for various parameters. Variable RF attenuation in RF interface equipment can adjust power levels to/from the RF port of the CPE devices to account for close proximity and variations between different vendors and models, which are coupled via the RF interface equipment to an included CMTS. Network interface equipment tests network port performance of the CPE devices by coupling a general purpose computer thereto. Switching one of a plurality of CPE devices to be the only one tested at a time and switching an addition RENLOAD is controlled by a provisioning server based on criteria including information in a database of various parameters of the particular device being tested.

Abstract: The range delay of each of a plurality of user devices of an HFC is monitored. If the delay of a number of devices shifts by about the same amount and at about the same time, then the number of devices having such a shift is compared to a predetermined threshold. If the number exceeds the threshold, it is assumed that a leg of a fiber ring in the HFC has been severed, and a ring switch is determined to have occurred. Upon this determination, granting of bandwidth requests to a group of user devices is suspended, and a ranging and register process for all devices in the group begins. The group may comprise all user devices affected by the broken fiber ring. Following ranging and registering, granting of bandwidth requests to the affected devices begins according to a normally-provisioned request grant schedule.

Abstract: A user device connected to a CMTS over a network is configured such that upon power-up it can use a universal broadcast SID or a predetermined multicast SID to obtain an initial maintenance during a maintenance window. The predetermined multicast SID is assigned to the device at manufacture based on the type, or class, of device. The CMTS to which the devices connect is configured to schedule exclusive initial maintenance opportunity windows for each type of device in addition to an all-inclusive, or open, initial maintenance opportunity window, during which all types of devices may attempt to register. The order and number of initial maintenance windows within a periodically recurring sequence of windows can be configured by an operator based on the types of devices connected to the network.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus used to provide duplicate address detection in edge devices. Edge devices can include CMTS devices or DSLAMs where network nodes are not allowed to communicate with each other directly. Duplicate address detection proxies can provide duplicate address protection for network devices and can avoid the issue of broadcasting node advertisement messages to all of the devices connected to a particular downstream link.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus can be used to flexibly allocate RF channels to output ports on edge termination systems. Flexible edge termination systems can include multiplexing modules operable to combine signals together inside of the flexible edge termination system to provide a flexible mapping of RF channels to output ports.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus used to determine whether to discard a network packet based upon the latency exhibited by an associated a network packet queue. Network devices can include a queue management module operable to identify a latency metric in network packet queues and determine whether the latency metric renders the network packet queue eligible for discarding packets based upon, for example, a latency policy.

Abstract: After a user device unsuccessfully attempts to establish upstream communication with a central network equipment downstream frequency to which it has tuned, an identifier corresponding to the tuned-to downstream frequency is removed from a cache of the user device. The frequency identifier stored in the cache typically corresponds to a frequency to which the user device has previously successfully tuned. The frequency identifier is removed from the cache after a predetermined attempt period, which may be determined by the number of attempts to establish communication that are made after previous unsuccessful attempts.

Abstract: A system comprising: an IP telephony interface communicatively coupled to an IP telephony service; a secondary telephony interface communicatively coupled to a secondary telephony service; and a telephone connection module to select between the IP telephony service and the secondary telephone service based on one or more specified telephony connection conditions.

Abstract: A diagnostic and prescriptive system and method for management of a combined optical and RF cable plant system. In an exemplary embodiment the method and system uses optical receivers in a hub or headend to determine a variety of cable plant parameters such as the OMI of the received signal and automatically facilitated prescriptive service through prioritization and automatic recalibration. In another exemplary embodiment the method allows doing such signal OMI measurements in a closed loop system (that is a fully operational system). In addition, a further exemplary method and system allows storing of standard receiver calibration information such that from thereon signal OMI measurements that can be performed without signal interruption.

Abstract: A database correlating a specific set of linecard criteria, out of a plurality of sets of linecard criteria, to a template code is loaded into a linecard during manufacturing. A template code based on country-specific criteria is sent to the linecard at startup, whenever otherwise desired. The template code may also be periodically refreshed from a central authority that recognizes the address of a particular linecard.

Abstract: A video clip is captured from a television broadcast on each of a plurality of channels. The captured video clips are provided to a display interface, which successively displays the captured video clips within a focus area of a user interface in response to an initiating action by a user. The display interface then discontinues the successive display of video clips to show a particular video clip corresponding to a selected channel in response to a terminating action by the user.

Abstract: A mini-TV or picture-in-graphic (PIG) window within a digital video recorder (DVR) menu may be repurposed after one or more activities, such as watching a digitally-recorded program, to display content other than live television content on a channel that was being tuned to before the one or more activities.

Abstract: An in-context interactive television ticker is provided. The ticker is rendered on a display screen that also shows a television program, and presents ticker content that is in-context with subject matter of the television program. The ticker remains rendered and context-sensitive to the subject matter of the currently shown television program, whenever there is a change in the television program, such as when the subject matter of the current television program changes, when a commercial interruption occurs during the television program, or when the television channel is changed. The ticker is interactive in that the viewer can perform various interactive operations with the ticker, including interacting with the ticker to obtain additional information related to an in-context item presented by the ticker.

Abstract: In a data system, such as a cable modem termination system, different-priority flows are scheduled to be routed to their logical destinations by factoring both the priority level and the time spent in queue. The time that each packet of each flow spends waiting for transmission is normalized such that the waiting times of all flows are equalized with respect to each other. A latency scaling parameter is calculated.

Abstract: A content validation process involves inserting content identifiers into a digital content file, the content identifiers uniquely identifying the content from other digital content in a digital content storage and delivery system. As the content file is streamed, the unique content identifiers are either replaced or supplemented with unique stream session identifiers.