Abstract: “A set top box includes an interface to a video on demand system, the interface adapted to receive communications from one or more modulators of a modulator group of the video on demand system. The set top further includes a decoder configured to extract a modulator group identifier periodically inserted into communications directed the set top box from the one or more modulators, the modulator group identifier unique to a physical transmission path from a headend of the video on demand system to the one or more modulators. The set top includes a video-on-demand request interface to the video on demand system, the video on demand request interface configured to output a request for video on demand data including the modulator group identifier.

Abstract: A system includes a laser generator, and a signal distortion generator circuit inline with the laser generator modulation signal and configured to generate distortion vectors in any of four distortion vector quadrants.

Abstract: A data carousel exists as an out-of-band carousel (OOBC), and accessed as a hidden background service from the channel map, and that discriminates against metadata that is never (or is rarely) accessed, and that is acquired in the background, filling a cache even when the subscriber is not accessing Video on Demand.

Abstract: A process of managing bandwidth in a computer network having normal users and users that consume a disproportionate amount of bandwidth includes creating bandwidth gates for m users causing disproportionate traffic on the network, each bandwidth gate providing a bandwidth of y, and setting m to a minimum and y to a maximum for the set m.

Abstract: An optical receiver includes closed-loop composite second order (CSO) distortion correction logic. An optical communication system includes a transmitter comprising open-loop composite second order (CSO) distortion correction logic, and a receiver comprising closed-loop composite second order (CSO) distortion correction logic.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic quality adjustment of digital media based on changing streaming constraints is provided. A digital media server sends a digital media stream according to a set of streaming constraints to a requesting client. Audio and visual information may be sent to a requesting client together in a single stream, or separately in multiple streams. A client sends a request over a control network to the digital media server indicating information of a particular type is no longer desired. In response to receiving the signal, the video server ceases transmission of that particular type of information to the signaling client, thus relaxing streaming constraints.

Abstract: A network device includes output rate control logic having variable bandwidth and a response time constant that increases according to an amount of time that an input rate of data to the network device is evaluated by the control logic.

Abstract: A digital splicing process includes calculating the length of data to be inserted into a transport stream between first and second video clips, and removing B-frames in the second clip that reference non-existent I-frames.

Abstract: A method for allocating content requests to a server pool includes directing a stream requesting a novel title to one of a least-busy server in a server pool and a least-miss-traffic server in the server pool; setting the server to which the novel title was directed to the requested title's preferred server; directing a stream requesting a familiar title to the title's preferred server; and directing a stream requesting a crowded title to one of a least-busy server and the least-miss-traffic server.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic quality adjustment of digital media based on changing streaming constraints is provided. A digital media server sends a digital media stream according to a set of streaming constraints to a requesting client. Audio and visual information may be sent to a requesting client together in a single stream, or separately in multiple streams. A client sends a request over a control network to the digital media server indicating information of a particular type is no longer desired. In response to receiving the signal, the video server ceases transmission of that particular type of information to the signaling client, thus relaxing streaming constraints.

Abstract: A content on demand system includes logic to compose information about multiple audio and/or video streams into an audio and/or video stream format, and logic to communicate the information about multiple audio and/or video streams to a plurality of set top boxes.

Abstract: A method may include assigning to one or more I/O channels masks of message types that may pass through the channels, and when a message is sent or received, assigning to the message a channel having a mask that matches a type of the message.

Abstract: An optical-to-electrical converter may include and/or involve a splitter to separate one or more narrowcast signals from a broadcast signal, at least one broadcast signal receiver to receive the broadcast signal separated from one or more narrowcast signals, at least one narrowcast signal receiver to receive the narrowcast signal separated from the broadcast signal, the narrowcast receiver including an attenuator and a filter, and a controller including logic to dynamically monitor and adjust the attenuator to maintain separation between the broadcast and narrowcast signals.

Abstract: A system includes logic to cache at least one block in at least one cache if the block has a popularity that compares favorably to the popularity of other blocks in the cache, where the popularity of the block is determined by reads of the block from persistent storage and reads of the block from the cache.

Abstract: In a broadband communication system there are multi-stage power amplifier systems for amplifying the power of radio-frequency (RF) communication signals. Each stage of the amplifier system results in composite triple beat (CTB) distortion, and if the phase of the CTB distortions are approximately the same (i.e. are in-phase), then the amplitudes of the distortions are added (i.e. “20 dB” rule). The amplifier system of the invention includes one or more phase filters positioned in series between the power amplifier stages. The phase filters are adapted to shift the phase of the communication signals, so that the phase of CTB distortions, resulting from the amplification of the communication signals in the amplifier stages between the phase filters, are substantially different (i.e. are out-of-phase). Thus, only the power of the CTB distortions are added (i.e. “10 dB” rule).

Abstract: A optical transmission system includes light sources generating light of at least two wavelengths, where any two adjacent wavelengths are separated by less than 10 nm. The wavelengths fall within the zero dispersion zone of an optical fiber, and may be shifted by 1 nm or less to reduce crosstalk effects.

Abstract: At least one trickplay source file is generated from original media content. Trickplay view files for rendering particular trickplay view rates are then generated from the trickplay source file.

Abstract: A media server comprises a plurality of nodes each comprising a gateway, each gateway providing memory and communication of data between mass storage and I/O ports of a node, and/or providing communication of data between the node and other nodes. Each node utilizes one or more central processors. The media server comprises logic to enable the processors to manage the streaming of data from the mass storage to the I/O ports via the gateways without communicating the data between the processors and any of the mass storage, I/O ports, or gateways.

Abstract: A RAID storage system includes an outer stripe size that is an integer multiple J of a product of an inner stripe size and a number of data disks in a RAID disk set, where J is greater than one (1).

Abstract: An information distribution system includes an interconnect and multiple data processing nodes coupled to the interconnect. Each data processing node includes mass storage and a cache. Each data processing node also includes interface logic configured to receive signals from the interconnect and to apply the signals from the interconnect to affect the content of the cache, and to receive signals from the mass storage and to apply the signals from the mass storage to affect the content of the cache. The content of the mass storage and cache of a particular node may also be provided to other nodes of the system, via the interconnect.