Abstract: A sequence of picture slices is encoded as reference slices and non-reference slices, wherein the reference slices include B slices, by forming, for each B slice, at least one data packet containing data values derived from brightness and color information pertaining to the slice. The data packet for each B slice includes a header element indicating whether the B slice is a reference slice. The header element of each reference B slice has a value that depends on depth of the reference B slice in a hierarchy of discardability.

Abstract: Logical channels in a network are automatically be configured by using measured network parameters. The measured network parameters are determined in cooperation with the network elements without interruption of active communication services. The network parameters include upstream or downstream modulation error ratio (MER), upstream or downstream signal to noise ratio (SNR), upstream or downstream microreflections, upstream transmit level, downstream receive power level, cable modem type (DOCSIS 1.0,1.1,2.0), functional capabilities (e.g., VoIP, 256QAM, etc), network element location with in a cable plant (e.g., node location or amplifier cascade depth), network element manufacturer, or type of services provided by the network element (including telephony versus data). An interactive display is provided to an operator which enables analysis of communication parameters, including modulation profiles and channel performance.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method processes video in a system including a host computer processing unit (CPU) and a plurality of transcoder instances. The method receives, by a transcoder instance in the plurality of transcoder instances, first Internet Protocol (IP) packets from a host router coupled to the host CPU. The transcoder instance decapsulates the first IP packets to determine video from a payload of each of the first IP packets and generates a transport stream of video from the video from the payload. The transport stream is in a format in which the transcoder instance can perform a transcoding operation. The transport stream of video is processed by performing the transcoding operation on the transport stream of video. The transcoder instance then encapsulates the processed video from the transport stream of video in second IP packets and sends the second IP packets to a destination.

Abstract: A method for managing delivery of encoded bits to a decoder is disclosed. In the method, a number of bits associated with a variable system delay is determined. The variable system delay is a time interval between each of a plurality of frames being encoded and decoded and is measured with respect to a current time for each of the plurality of frames. A number of bits in an encoder buffer for an encoder is determined. A number of bits in a decoder buffer for a decoder configured to receive encoded bits from the encoder is determined based on the bits associated with the variable system delay and the bits in the encoder buffer. Delivery of the encoded bits to the decoder is managed based on the number of bits determined to be in the decoder buffer.

Abstract: A plurality of programs are statistically multiplexed using a plurality of two-pass encoders. Pictures in the plurality of programs are encoded in a first encoding pass using a plurality of first encoding modules. RW—passOne, which is a total number of bits used to encode all the pictures in a sequence in the plurality of programs in the first encoding pass, is determined. RW—passTwo, which is a total target number of bits for all pictures in a same sequence in the plurality of programs in a second encoding pass, is also determined. Rtwo,Ff,picType(i,l), which is a target bit allocation for each picture in each program l of the plurality of programs, is determined based on RW—passOne, RW—passTwo, and Rone,Ff,picType(i,l). Rone,Ff,picType(i,l) is a number of bits consumed for a corresponding picture in the first encoding pass.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a revocation request for revoking a model type of a device. A first computing device determines a list of device unit identifiers (UIDs) that are associated with the model type from a database. The device UIDs are for devices of the model type manufactured by a first entity. The method adds the list of device UIDs to a device revocation list and outputs the device revocation list to revoke a validity of secure information associated with devices associated with the list of device UIDs.

Abstract: A dispersion correction circuit is provided for use with an input driving signal. The dispersion correction circuit includes an input portion an output portion and a filter portion. The input portion is arranged to receive the input driving signal. The output portion can output an output signal based on the input driving signal. The filter portion is disposed between the input portion and the output portion. The filter portion includes a first varactor, a DC bias portion, and a second varactor. The DC bias portion provides a DC bias to the first varactor. The first varactor is arranged in a first polarity direction, and the second varactor is arranged in a second polarity direction that is the same as the first direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a coding mode for a block of a current picture are disclosed. For example, the method selects a coding mode in accordance with a cost function, for coding the block, wherein the cost function comprises a coding distortion parameter and a number of coding bits parameter, wherein said coding distortion parameter is measured in accordance with at least one of: between a prediction residual and a reconstructed prediction residual, or between a transformed prediction residual and a dequantized transformed prediction residual, wherein the number of coding bits parameter is computed in accordance with at least one of: from a true number of compressed bits resulting from coding said block, directly from a plurality of bins, or directly from a plurality of quantized transform coefficients.

Abstract: A method includes interacting, by a mobile device, with an object associated with a set of controllable devices that are provided for demonstration to a user of the mobile device. The method determines information associated with the object based on the interaction and sends the information to a server to open an authenticated session with the server. The server opens the authenticated session that allows temporary access to automatically control the set of controllable devices via an application running on the mobile device. The mobile device sends a command to the server to control a controllable device in the set of controllable devices. The server allows control of the controllable device based on the command if the temporary access to the authenticated session is determined to be valid for the mobile device and disallow the control of the controllable device if the authenticated session is determined to be invalid.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the video and audio capabilities of an electronic device (102) using a media enhancement dock (150, 250). According to certain aspects, the systems and methods enhance a field of view of a camera (116) with one or more optical lenses (152, 252, 254). Three dimensional images may be captured and constructed based on images from multiple optical lenses and a shutter (256). The dock may also enhance the sound captured by providing one or more far-field microphones (154, 262, 264). A beamforming analysis of the audio signals from multiple microphones may increase the sensitivity and localization of sound. Internal and/or external light sources may be adjusted by the dock to achieve a sufficient level of ambient light in the environment. Videoconferencing and gesture control applications executing on the electronic device may be enriched through use of the media enhancement dock.

Abstract: A method and computing device receives data packets on an upstream bonding group in full service mode, where the upstream bonding group includes a set of channels and each channel has a transmission quality. The method detects that a select channel in the set of channels is impaired when the transmission quality of the select channel is below a threshold value, and transitions the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode by disabling data grant scheduling on the select channel. The method monitors the select channel using a spectrum management method while the receiving of the data packets is in partial service mode. The method transitions the receiving of the data packets from partial service mode to full service mode when a result from the spectrum management method indicates that the select channel can transmit data packets error free.

Abstract: A method and devices for dynamically embedding watermark and/or end-user access information into multimedia content. The method includes providing multimedia content transformed into blocks that each include an array of pixel blocks, and dynamically embedding portions of watermark and/or end-user access information into selected pixel blocks based on the values of the coefficients within the pixel blocks. For multimedia content encoded using discrete cosine transform (DCT) or other block-based encoding, the transform coefficients to include embedded information are chosen based on analysis of the coefficient values, rather than in a fixed or predetermined manner. Also, embedding watermark and/or end-user access information can occur across different pixel blocks within a given image to reduce the number of embedded coefficients per block, within the peripheral pixel blocks within a given image, and/or in different areas across images to reduce the duration of embedded information in any one area.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of analyzing a video stream using a video analyzer. The video stream includes image frame data corresponding to an integer N number of image frames, respectively. The video analyzer includes a controller and a frame processor. The method includes setting a problem threshold value corresponding to a parameter of the image frame data, receiving first image frame data corresponding to a first image frame, analyzing the parameter of a portion of the received first image frame data and generating an analyzed value and determining whether there is a problem based on the analyzed value and the problem threshold value. The portion of the analyzed portion of the received first image frame data is less than the total received first image frame data.

Abstract: A video content delivery system is provided for set top boxes (STBs) that may be relocated as well as mobile clients using the Internet to retrieve content manifest files pertaining to the geographic area in which they are located. To provide this system, the edge cache in each geo-location region of a content provider is configured to append location specific metadata to a client's original HTTP request for content, making the request geo-location or region specific. The specific metadata appended by the edge cache in each region prevent clients from bypassing blackout or other content restrictions by moving from a non-restricted area and sending inaccurate location information. In another feature of the system to prevent client bypassing of blackout restrictions, the edge cache when communicating with the STB removes any location specific information which the client provides.

Abstract: Systems and methods that improve video quality by signaling of parameters in a sample adaptive offset (SAO) process are disclosed. The methods and systems described herein generally pertain to video processing such as video encoders and decoders.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The presence of micro-reflections is determined in a network by determining micro-reflections from amplifier and diplex filter impedance mismatches and micro-reflections from drop cable impedance mismatches. The micro-reflections from impedance mismatches are determined by instructing network element to transmit a test signal at a first symbol rate and a first resolution for amplifier and diplex filter impedance mismatches and a second frequency with a second symbol rate and second resolution for micro-reflections from drop cable impedance mismatches. The tests are performed with several frequencies and the channels with the least micro-reflections are identified.

Abstract: A device for stacking signals in an expanded frequency range includes an upconverter and a multiplexer. The upconverter is configured to receive upstream signals that are in a first frequency range, upconvert some of the upstream signals that are in a first frequency sub-range of the first frequency range and pass some of the upstream signals that are in a second frequency sub-range of the first frequency range. The multiplexer is configured to stack the upconverted upstream signals and the upstream signals in the second frequency sub-range and output the stacked upstream signals.

Abstract: An active link wireless cable mesh network and a method for transmitting data in a wireless cable mesh network are provided. A plurality of end devices are connected in a mesh configuration. A data message is transmitted to a first end device via one of a plurality of antennas radiating elements which form a phased array antenna. If the message is not successfully received, the antenna radiating elements is steered to another transceiver in the mesh network to complete the transmission.