Patents Assigned to General Instrument
-
Patent number: 8374085Abstract: A method (400) for managing a data stream (30) encoded according to a digital transmission protocol and configured for broadcasting to a consumer network device (14) within a broadband communications network (10). A message relating to the data stream is encapsulated (402) within a transport layer data packet (502). The packet has a destination port number field. A value associated with a predetermined parameter of the digital transmission protocol is created (404) within the field. Based on the value, the packet is forwarded (406) to the consumer network device according to a network layer protocol. When the forwarded message is received by the consumer network device, the consumer network device processes the data stream based on the message, and establishes an application layer communication socket based on the destination port number value. The socket is usable to receive further messages associated with the predetermined parameter of the digital transmission protocol.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2011Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Christopher Poli, Richard S. Grzeczkowski, Steven A. Didomenico, Christopher J. Stone, Leonard G. Filomeo
-
Patent number: 8370886Abstract: Provided is a device for use with a headend, a household and an amplifier. The headend is able to provide signals within a high-frequency band fH. The household is able to provide signals within a low-frequency band fL, and to provide signals within a super-high-frequency band fR, where fL<fH<fR. The device includes a splitter, a diplexer and a combiner. The splitter is arranged to receive the signals within the high-frequency band fH and to split the signals within the high-frequency band fH into a first signal portion within the high-frequency band fH and a second signal portion within the high-frequency band fH. The diplexer is operable to pass the second signal portion within the high-frequency band fH to the household, to pass the signals within the low-frequency band fL to the splitter and to pass the signals within the super-high-frequency band fR.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2009Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: George S. Karpati, Robert L. Howald
-
Patent number: 8369820Abstract: A frequency multiplier device comprises a first signal combiner having a first port for receiving a first input signal having a first frequency f1 and a second port for receiving a second input signal having a second frequency f2, the first signal combiner configured to provide an output signal having either a sum of the first frequency and second frequency or a difference of the first frequency and second frequency; and a frequency divider having a dividing ratio N, the frequency divider configured to output a divided signal, wherein the output signal from the first signal combiner is coupled to the frequency divider, the divided signal from the frequency divider is coupled to the second port of the first signal combiner, and the output signal from the first signal combiner has a frequency of (N/(N±1))×f1.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2007Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Branislav A. Petrovic, Maxim Ashkenasi, Andre Basovich
-
Patent number: 8369415Abstract: A method of decoding an enhanced video stream composed of base layer video access units and enhancement layer video access units, each access unit comprising a plurality of syntax structures, includes passing the syntax structures of the base layer access units to a base layer buffer, passing syntax structures of the enhancement layer access units to an enhancement layer buffer, outputting the syntax structures passed to the base layer buffer in a predetermined sequence, outputting the syntax structures passed to the enhancement layer buffer in a predetermined sequence, and recombining the sequences of syntax structures output by the base layer buffer and the enhancement layer buffer respectively to form a complete enhanced access unit, composed of base layer syntax structures and enhancement layer syntax structures in a predetermined sequence.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2009Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventor: Mandayam A. Narasimhan
-
Patent number: 8370626Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating identity data to be provisioned in product devices that are a part of a project. The method includes establishing a template associated with each CA in a hierarchical chain of CAs having a root CA at a highest level in the chain and a signing CA at a lowest level in the chain. The template associated with the signing CA inherits mandatory attribute fields specified in the root CA and any intermediate CA in the hierarchical chain. The mandatory attribute fields are user-specifiable fields to be populated with PKI data. A configuration file is generated upon receipt of an order for digital certificates using PKI data provided by a user to populate the mandatory attribute fields of the template associated with the signing CA. The digital certificates requested in the order are generated using the PKI data in the configuration file.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2010Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Jiajing Liu, Thomas J. Barbour, Liqiang Chen, Ying Chen, Wei Lin Chou, Christopher P. Gardner, Stuart P. Moskovics, Xin Qiu, Chia Ling Tsai, Ting Yao
-
Patent number: 8368741Abstract: A system and an apparatus for improving image quality of an object in video telephony are described. The apparatus comprises an image detection unit, an image alignment unit and an image fusion unit. A near infrared light source in the image detection unit illuminates the object, such that the object is front illuminated. An image sensor alongside the near infrared light source generates a near infrared image and a visible image. An image alignment unit aligns the near infrared image and the visible image. An image fusion unit fuses the aligned near infrared image and aligned visible image pair to form a composite image of the object. The composite image of the object has improved image quality, image detail, and a reduction in shadows.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2007Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Kevin W. Jelley, Ruei-Sung Lin, Bei Tang
-
Patent number: 8364951Abstract: A digital rights management system (DRM) for restricting and permitting content access in a digital content distribution network such as a network used to deliver television programming. The DRM uses distributed authentication and provisioning so that the potentially many different entities involved in the content distribution network can have localized management and control. Distributed authentication can use single or multiple instances of authentication services. A ticket granting service (TGS) is used to allow clients to request services. In one approach, multiple authentication services use a common key that is known to the TGS. In another approach, unique keys are provided to each authentication service and these keys are communicated to the TGS. Distributed provisioning allows different entities to grant access rights or other resources. Provisioning service (PS) processes can execute at multiple different physical locations.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2002Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Petr Peterka, Alexander Medvinsky
-
Patent number: 8364964Abstract: In a method of registering a plurality of client devices with a device registration server for secure data communications, a unique symmetric key is generated for each of the client devices using a cryptographic function on a private key of the device registration server and a respective public key of each of the client devices, and a broadcast message containing the public key of the device registration server is sent to the client devices, in which the client devices are configured to generate a respective unique symmetric key from the public key of the device registration server and its own private key using a cryptographic function, and in which the unique symmetric key generated by each client device matches the respective unique symmetric key generated by the device registration server for the respective client device.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2009Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Alexander Medvinsky, Paul Moroney, Jiang Zhang
-
Patent number: 8356314Abstract: A method for securing a plaintext object within a content receiver is described. In one step, a secure portion of a secure object and a plaintext remainder of the secure object are received. Which portion of the secure object is the secure portion is determined. The secure portion is decrypted to provide a plaintext portion. The plaintext object that comprises the plaintext portion and the plaintext remainder is formed. The plaintext object is stored including authentication and authorization.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2005Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventor: Eric J. Sprunk
-
Patent number: 8352371Abstract: The method shown in FIG. 4 continues with the iterative play cycles of the game, such as alternating moves between each player in the game. Player A operates a user interface on the game device 110A to select one of the content media items owned by Player A 236 to play during a move in the game (step 465). The user interface displays the selected content media item on the game device 110A which Player A operates (step 470) and sends a request to the game device 110B which Player B operates to reveal the selected content media item (step 475). The game device 110B which Player B operates receives the request (step 480) and reveals the selected content media item stored in the shared content media, such as in the shared content media items 238 shown in FIG. 2 (step 485).Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventor: Lee Proctor
-
Patent number: 8351514Abstract: A method, protocol and apparatus for transporting Advanced Video Coding (AVC) content, e.g., using MPEG-2 systems is disclosed. Specifically, the present method is related to the carriage of various flavors of AVC streams in a uniform fashion over MPEG-2 systems (e.g., both transport and program streams). The method includes generating the AVC content from an input stream, and thereafter transporting the AVC content in a transport stream or a program stream over MPEG-2. The AVC content is generated in accordance with at least one constraint that is associated with the transport stream or the program stream.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2005Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Mandayam A. Narasimhan, Robert O. Eifrig
-
Patent number: 8345557Abstract: A spare receiver in a CMTS is used to determine the connectivity status of the receivers of the CMTS in the network. Load balancing and Spectrum Groups may also be determined according to the connectivity status of the receivers. The spare receiver is configured to have the communication protocols of a first selected receiver of the CMTS and is switched to be connected to the signal lines of another receiver of the CMTS. A transmitter sends a request for a response to a modem registered with the first receiver. If the spare receiver, which is configured to have the same communication protocols as the first receiver of the CMTS, receives the response from the modem, the other receiver under test is determined to be physically wired with the first receiver. The other receiver is also determined to be in the same Load Balancing Group and the same Spectrum Group as the first receiver of the CMTS.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Brian K. Thibeault, Eugene M. Tucciarone
-
Patent number: 8346930Abstract: A multimedia processing device and method for using virtual resources to manage multimedia content system resources and access to such resources by system applications. A multimedia content processing device, such as a set-top box, is configured to provide virtual resources that emulate actual resources, such as a media playing resource, in a manner that allows system applications, such as a television or video on demand application, to believe they have access to the actual underlying system resource. The method includes providing a virtual resource for a system application seeking access to a system resource. The virtual resource can be configured in an attached mode, in which the virtual resource forwards information between an active system application and the accessed resource. The virtual resource also can be configured in a detached mode, in which the virtual resource emulates the actual resource to which a non-active system application is seeking access.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2007Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Thomas R. Johannesson, Daniel Helmers
-
Patent number: 8340492Abstract: A method for sharing at least one annotation between a first user media terminal (102) and a second user media terminal (104) in a communication network (100) is provided. The method includes inputting (404) the at least one annotation on the first user media terminal. Further, the method includes anchoring (406) the at least one annotation to the media stream executed on the first user media terminal at a first start time. The at least one annotation is sent (408) to the second user media terminal. The at least one annotation is received (410) at the second user media terminal. Furthermore, the at least one annotation is synchronized (412) at the second user media terminal based on a relative start time. The at least one synchronized annotation is then rendered (414) to the media stream on the second user media terminal.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2007Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Venu Vasudevan, Michael Pearce
-
Patent number: 8340343Abstract: A method and system for embedding and recovering a spatial fingerprint in a sequence of video frames. The sequence includes marked frames that include marked groups having markable positions. The embedding method selects a frame offset and marking period for the marked frames, and determines a marking strength for modifying each marked group. A portion of the spatial fingerprint is embedded in each marked group of a first subgroup of the marked groups, and an ordering of the portion embedded in the first subgroup is embedded in each marked group of a second subgroup of the marked groups. The recovering method analyzes a quality ratio of the DCT transform energy and the residual for each markable position in the frame to determine whether the frame is a marked frame. The recovering method recovers the spatial fingerprint when the marked groups maintain the quality ratio in a number of successive marked frames.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2008Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventor: Candace M. Anderson
-
Patent number: 8340191Abstract: A system is configured to transcode a first MPEG stream to a second MPEG stream. The system includes a first MPEG decoder capable of decoding the first MPEG stream and a second MPEG encoder capable of producing the second MPEG stream. The second MPEG encoder is configured to maintain a decoded picture type of I, P, or B. The second MPEG encoder is also configured to maintain a decoded picture structure of frame or field, identify a metadata per each macroblock (MB) of an MB pair of the first MPEG stream, and determine whether to re-encode the MB into the second MPEG stream using one of a frame or a field mode based on the identified metadata. The second MPEG encoder is further configured to re-encode the MB pair into the second MPEG stream using one of the frame or the field mode based on the identified metadata.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2009Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: Limin Wang, Krit Panusopone
-
Patent number: 8340531Abstract: Methods of transmitting an optical signal through optical fiber in a manner suppressing stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) are provided. A light beam emitted from a light source is modulated by driving either the light source or a separate phase modulator or both simultaneously with a separate high frequency signal dithered by one or more low frequency dithering signals of a frequency or frequencies lower than that of the high frequency signal. Thereafter, the light beam is further modulated externally with an RF information-carrying signal. The high frequency signal is at least twice a highest frequency of the RF information-carrying signal. The light beam modulated with the RF information-carrying signal is coupled into optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2009Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventor: Jun Wang
-
Patent number: 8340140Abstract: A plurality of programs are statistically multiplexed using a statistical multiplexing (stat mux) system. Rchannel, a constant total bit rate for the plurality of programs, is determined. Cl,Ff,picTYpe, a complexity for each picture in the plurality of programs, is determined. Tl,Ff,picType, a bit allocation for each picture in the plurality of programs, is determined based on Cl,Ff,picTYpe and Rchannel. The plurality of programs are encoded using a plurality of encoders, a combined encoder buffer, and Tl,Ff,picType to form a plurality of variable bit rate (VBR) compressed bit streams. The plurality of VBR compressed bit streams are multiplexed to form a single constant bit rate (CBR) bit stream.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventor: Limin Wang
-
Patent number: 8340098Abstract: Method and apparatus for distributing a content stream from a headend to a subscriber terminal is described. In one example, the content stream is processed at the headend to generate a sequence of instances having successively staggered reference frames. A request for the content streams is received from the subscriber terminal at an initial time. In response to the request, an instance from the sequence of instances having the first reference frame after the initial time is selected. The selected instance is transmitted towards the subscriber terminal.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2005Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventor: Kevin S. Wirick
-
Patent number: 8335256Abstract: A video coding system includes a decoder configured to decode an encoded reference picture, a primary memory, and a secondary memory configured to store the decoded reference picture. The video coding system also includes a logic device configured to extract motion vectors for generating a predicted picture of the reference picture and to store the extracted motion vectors in memory bins. The reference picture includes a plurality of predefined regions and each memory bin stores motion vectors for a particular region of the plurality of predefined regions. For each of the plurality of predefined regions of the reference picture, the logic device is configured to use the memory bin corresponding to a reference region to read the reference region from the secondary memory and write the reference region into the primary memory. The written reference region and the motion vectors of the corresponding memory bin are used to spatially translate the written reference region into the predicted picture.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2008Date of Patent: December 18, 2012Assignee: General Instrument CorporationInventors: John Shumate, Yendo Hu