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: 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 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 varactor, a DC bias portion, and a transformer. The DC bias portion provides a DC bias to the varactor.

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 and computing device for maintaining the stability of the upstream channel quality measurements in an upstream channel bonded system. The method configures a cable modem, that communicates using bonded channels, to periodically exchange ranging messages on the bonded channels, where a bonded channel ranging interval determines a period for the exchange. The method also monitors a signal quality metric for a monitored channel of the bonded channels by periodically retrieving a quality measurement for the monitored channel, a period between each retrieval determined by a channel quality monitoring interval. The method sends an invite ranging message to the cable modem before retrieval of the quality measurement for the monitored channel, and retrieves the quality measurement for the monitored channel. The method bases the signal quality metric for the monitored channel on the quality measurement.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes launching an application on a first device. The application allows the first device to trigger a service based on a program being played on a second device. The first device captures a visual code being displayed in association with the program being played on the second device. The visual code includes encoded information for program ID information associated with the program being played on the second device and timing information associated with the program being played on the second device. The method determines the program ID information and the timing information from the encoded information included in the visual code and then triggers the service for the application using the timing information and the program ID information.

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 of mapping a network fault is provided. Information is received concerning geographical coordinates of terminal network elements and their association with shared network components. A performance parameter is transmitted via upstream network communications from the terminal network elements is monitored. Terminal network elements from which the monitored performance parameter are unacceptable relative to a predetermined threshold for the performance parameter are identified, and a cluster of terminal network elements estimated to be subject to a common network fault is defined. The cluster includes terminal network elements that are identified as reporting an unacceptable performance parameter, as being within a predetermined geographic distance from each other, and as being associated with a common shared network component. A geographic map is populated with a single cluster alarm and includes an identification of the terminal network elements within the cluster.

Abstract: A method of estimating a level of severity of a network fault is provided. Performance parameters are monitored on upstream and downstream links to terminal network elements on a network to detect potential network faults. An alarm is raised with respect to a potential network fault automatically if at least one of the performance parameters as monitored crosses a preset threshold. After an alarm is raised, a level of severity is assigned to the alarm based on pre and post forward error correction (FEC) bit error rates (BER). In addition, the total number of terminal network elements that are impacted by the network fault is estimated and, when multiple alarms are raised of an equal level of severity, a higher priority is placed upon an alarm that affects service to a greatest number of terminal network elements.

Abstract: A method of estimating a physical location of a network fault is provided. Information is received concerning the physical topology of the network by data pulls of information concerning network components and terminal network elements and geographic locations thereof. A network fault is detected by monitoring at least one performance parameter transmitted via upstream communications from the terminal network elements, and a physical location of a network fault is estimated based on the performance parameter, the physical topology of the network, and the terminal network element or elements from which the performance parameter was received that indicated the network fault. A list of network components that require inspection and that may provide a source of the network fault is generated. A signal processing electronic device for mapping the network fault and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions are also provided.

Abstract: A method of mapping a network path in which a geographic path of cables of a network between a geographic location of a network component and a geographic location of a terminal network element is estimated electronically using Keyhole Markup Language (KML) data. A geographically accurate street map is populated with the geographic location of the network component, the geographic location of the terminal network element, and the estimated geographic path. The map is capable of being displayed with the use of geospatial software implementing KML encoding. A signal processing electronic device for populating a display of an interactive graphical user interface with network path mapping information and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the above referenced operations are also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of augmenting user-input information that includes associating a first secondary device with primary media content, receiving user-input information input at the first secondary device, and analyzing the user-input information to identify user-content metadata. The method further includes at least one of: receiving primary-content metadata related to the primary media content and deriving primary-content metadata from the primary media content and identifying associations between the user-content metadata and the primary-content metadata.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for displaying a plurality of presentation elements to a user. A progress bar is displayed. A length of the progress bar is representative of a duration of a multimedia presentation. A communication box is also displayed. The communication box comprises a marker and a communication composed by an originator in relation to a certain point or time period within the multimedia presentation. The progress bar and the communication box are displayed such that the marker is in alignment with a position along the length of the progress bar that corresponds to the point or time period in the multimedia presentation in relation to which the communication was composed. The marker may be moved relative to the progress bar.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for providing one or more content items for display to a user of an end-user device. The user provides a comment in relation to a multimedia presentation. Based on this comment, and on content information relating to the multimedia presentation, a set of content items is then selected. This set of elements is provided for display to the user. The user may include any of the displayed content items in his comment.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for displaying information relating to a portion of a multimedia presentation. A progress bar is provided and displayed. A length of the progress bar is representative of a duration of the multimedia presentation. A user selects a first and a second point in the multimedia presentation, thereby defining a portion of the presentation. Depending on the selection, one or more communications (e.g., comments, online postings, etc.) may be identified. Each of these communications may have been composed in relation to at least a point of the multimedia presentation that is within the defined portion. Information depending on those identified communications may then be displayed to the user.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for providing digital authentication tokens that may be used to verify an identity of a party. A digital authentication token may be determined by iterating a hash function. The input for the first iteration of the hash function may be a function of a password received from a party. Also, a digital authentication token may be determined to be equal to an output of a function composition of a plurality of different hash functions. The argument of the function composition may the function of the password. The function of the password may be performed to increase the entropy of the password. The outputs of the hash functions used may be dependent on (different) salt values.

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.