Abstract: In a communication network, a network function may be provided for controlling Information Centric Networking (ICN) protocol-based traffic flow between a set of user equipment (UE). This network function may be an ICN application function (ICN-AF), and may obtain information indicative of whether, and optionally to which degree, a respective ICN node is publisher of content in the exchange of content between the ICN nodes. The ICN-AF may, for example via a session management function (SMF), initiate a reassignment of a PDU session of an ICN node which is presumed to be a requester of content to a data network access point which has connectivity to, or is the same as, a data network access point assigned to an ICN node which is characterized as publisher of content.

Abstract: A processor system and computer-implemented method are provided for generating a composite video stream which may include a non-volumetric video and a volumetric video, at least part of which is to be displayed in front of the non-volumetric video. The volumetric video may be included in the composite video stream in the form of a non-volumetric representation of the volumetric video, for example inserted into a spatial subregion of the non-volumetric video which may be occluded by the volumetric video during display. The encoding, transmission and decoding may thus not have to be modified to support volumetric video. Signaling data may be provided which may be indicative of the composite video stream containing the non-volumetric representation of the volumetric video. A processor system and computer-implemented method may be provided for rendering the composite video stream using the signaling data.

Abstract: A system and method for rendering a video stream for display on a display device, which may comprise receiving the video stream by streaming and generating display data defining a visible display area to be displayed by the display device, wherein generating of display data comprises rendering the video stream in a sub-area of the visible display area. A selection mechanism may be provided by which a version of the video stream may be selected for streaming having a spatial resolution and/or a bitrate which is selected based on a size of the sub-area.

Abstract: A processor system and computer-implemented method may be provided for generating a composite video stream which may combine a background video and a foreground video stream into one stream. For that purpose, a spatially segmented encoding of the background video may be obtained, for example in the form of a tiled stream. The foreground video stream may be received, for example, from a(nother) client device. The foreground video stream may be a real-time stream, e.g., when being used in real-time communication. The image data of the foreground video stream may be inserted into the background video by decoding select segments of the background video, inserting the foreground image data into the decoded background image data of these segments, and by encoding the resulting composite image data to obtain composite segments which, together with the non-processed segments of the background video, form a spatially segmented encoding of a composite video.

Abstract: A method for requesting a plurality of chunks by a streaming client on the basis of a single request message is described, wherein said chunks are defined on the basis of a manifest file comprising chunk identifiers for determining at least one delivery node for delivering chunks defined by said chunk identifiers to said client, wherein said method comprises: determining on the basis of said manifest file a first request message for requesting a first plurality of chunks, said first request message comprising one or more first chunk template parameters and a first chunk template, preferably an URL chunk template, comprising one or more chunk template parameters fields; sending said first request message to a first network node, wherein said first network node is configured for determining a first plurality of chunk identifiers, preferably a first plurality of URLs, associated with said first plurality of chunks on the basis of said first chunk template and said one or more first chunk template parameters; and

Abstract: A client device (13) is configured to transmit a relay request to a relay device (14). The relay request comprises a first device identifier identifying the client device and one or more first link identifiers identifying one or more links of which at least one links a further device (12) with a network node via the client device. The client device is further configured to receive an acceptance message accepting the relay request from the relay device and transmit data associated with the one or more links to the relay device in dependence on receipt of the acceptance message. The relay device is configured to receive the relay request from the client device, determine whether the relay request can be accepted, associate the first device identifier with each of the first link identifiers, and transmit the acceptance message upon determining that the relay request can be accepted.

Abstract: Embodiments provide functionality for dynamic handling of network slice priorities. In an embodiment, a slice priority manager receives, from a network services node, data indicating changes in network resources available for maintaining instantiated network slices in a communication network. Based on the received data, changes in the network services node's ability to maintain the instantiated network slices are identified and a communication service provider is notified of the change. To continue, slice priority data that indicates a preferred order of a portion of the network slices for allocating the network resources is received from the communication service provider. In turn, an indication of the slice priority data is forwarded to the network services node to update allocation of network resources for the slices.

Abstract: Processor systems and computer-implemented methods are provided for rendering a multiuser virtual environment in which different panoramic images are provided as image-based backdrop for different viewing positions in the virtual environment. When a user switches from a first viewing position for which a first panoramic image is rendered to a second viewing position for which a second panoramic image is rendered, a transition may be rendered for the user, for example as a mathematical transformation of the panoramic images. To avoid other users perceiving the representation of the user in the virtual environment from abruptly switching to the second viewing position, transition data may be provided which enables another processor system to render a representation of the transition in the virtual environment, e.g., by moving an avatar of the user along a movement trajectory.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a message distribution system configured to provide traffic messages received by at least one base station of a telecommunications network to at least one traffic control system capable of controlling traffic infrastructure. The message distribution system comprises a detection module and a routing module. The detection module is configured to detect traffic messages from user devices in a radio coverage area of the at least one base station. The routing module is configured to access association information associating at least one routing address of the at least one traffic control system with the radio coverage area of the at least one base station and to route the detected traffic messages to the at least one routing address associated with the radio coverage area of the at least one base station receiving the traffic messages from the user devices.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a blockchain management no device (100) configured to apply a symmetric hash function over multiple transactions received over the communication interface thus obtaining a hash value, and to generate a consensus proof over at least the hash value, and to assemble a new block (240) for inclusion in the blockchain.

Abstract: A method and processor system are provided for adapting an acoustic rendering of an audio source to a visual rendering of an image-based object. Such visual rendering may be in virtual-reality (VR) or in augmented-reality (AR). The image-based object may be modelled, and an audio object representing the modelled object may be established in an acoustic scene containing the audio source and being associated with the visual rendering. The audio object may be assigned a reverberant and/or absorbent property, and the acoustic rendering may be adapted to the audio object. This way, the acoustic rendering may be adapted to image-based objects, and a user may perceive the acoustic rendering as better matching the visual rendering.

Abstract: A method for adaptive streaming of video is described, wherein the method comprises: transmitting first metadata to a client apparatus, the first metadata defining a first adaptation set, an adaptation set defining one or more sets of segment identifiers, each set of segment identifiers defining a plurality of linearly playable media segments of a predetermined resolution, each media segment in a set of media segments having an identical playback duration, the first metadata enabling a client apparatus to request media segments and sequentially playout the media segments; receiving navigation information from the client apparatus, the navigation information defining at least a first region, in the video frames of the first adaptation set; selecting second metadata defining a second adaptation set on the basis of spatial playback information and a spatial distance or a spatial overlap between the first region and a second region in video frames of the first adaptation set, wherein the spatial playback informat

Abstract: The invention is concerned with insertion of secondary content in a time slot of primary content. The primary content and the secondary content are provided to a receiver via a managed content delivery network configured for IPTV delivery. The secondary content may be personalized content, such as an ad. Both the primary content and the secondary content may be encrypted, and decryptable with different decryption keys. Measures are described for pre-caching the decryption key for the secondary content at the receiver ahead of a scheduled play-out time of the secondary content. By pre-caching the decryption key, an interruption in play-out may be avoided or reduced compared to a basic scenario in which the receiver requests the decryption key at or immediately before the scheduled play-out time.

Abstract: The present disclosure may be implemented in the form of a method or corresponding apparatus for sending signaling messages through an IPX proxy from a first network element. The at least one example embodiment includes a first network element located on a first mobile network, the first network element configured to establish an initial signaling connection with a second network element on a second mobile network. The first network element may be configured to send a signaling request message to the second network element, receive a signaling response message from the second network element, the received signaling response message including an indication of an IPX proxy selected by the second network element. The first network element may be further configured to establish a signaling connection with the IPX proxy indicated in the received signaling response message, and send a second signaling request message to the IPX proxy for mediation service.

Abstract: A method of encoding video data into a bitstream comprising: determining from the plurality of video blocks of a video frame of a first resolution a current block and one or more reference blocks including reference samples for predicting original samples of the current block; determining predicted samples of the current block based on a downsampling scheme, the determining comprising computing samples of a first low-resolution block of a second resolution that is lower than the first resolution, and predicting samples of one or more second low-resolution blocks of the second resolution based on the samples of the first low resolution block, the samples of the first low-resolution block and the one or more second low-resolution blocks defining predicted samples of the current Block; and, determining residual samples of a residual block based on original samples of the current block and the predicted samples of the current block; transforming the samples of the residual block into a bitstream; and, embedding m

Abstract: An improved streaming of a Virtual Reality [VR] video to a VR rendering device is provided. The VR video may be represented by a plurality of streams each associated with a different view of a scene. A view of the scene may be determined which is to be rendered by the VR rendering device. A subset of streams may be identified which is needed to render the view of the scene. The streaming of the subset of streams to the VR rendering device may be effected by streaming the plurality of streams from a stream source to a forwarding node downstream of the stream sources and upstream of the VR rendering device, and selectively forwarding the subset of streams from the forwarding node to the VR rendering device in response to the view having to be rendered by the VR rendering device. As such, the switching latency between streams may be reduced.

Abstract: A method of determining a bitstream is described, the method including: determining a motion vector (MV) of a current block of a current video frame of a sequence of video frames comprising video data captured by a camera, the MV defining an offset of the current block relative to a prediction block, wherein part of the offset is caused by global motion in the video data if the camera is moving relative to a scene; determining motion vector predictor MW candidates for predicting the MV, the MW candidates being determined based on MVs of already encoded blocks; determining a motion compensation vector MCV for MW candidates, determining global motion compensated MW candidates based on a difference between a MW candidate and an associated MCV; selecting a compensated MW; and, determining a motion vector difference MVD based on the compensated MW and the MW; and, using entropy coding to code, the MVD, an indication of the selected compensated MW; and, conversion information for converting a MVP into a compensated

Abstract: An enhancement device (10, 116) for enhancing service requests (120) and a method of allocating network resources to a network service in a communication network is provided. The communication network comprises network resources capable of providing a network service specified in a service request issued by a client. The service request (120) comprises a direct part (121) and an indirect part (122), while the indirect part comprises at least one allocation condition.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a blockchain management device (100) configured to distribute a new block of a secondary blockchain to at least one further blockchain management device that manages the secondary blockchain, and to distribute a transaction to at least one blockchain management device that manages a primary blockchain, said transaction comprising an identification of a set of transactions in the new block.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to a method for providing a service to a user equipment connected to a first operator network. The second operator network comprises a register containing subscription information of the user equipment. The method comprises a number of steps. One of these steps is receiving from the first operator network a service request of the user equipment, the service request being associated with the service. Another step is obtaining a service-deployment-specification for the second operator network comprising at least one network function associated with the service on the basis of the service request. Yet another step is converting the service-deployment-specification for the second operator network into a generic specification, the generic specification enabling execution of the at least one network function in the first operator network for providing the service to the user equipment. Yet another step is transmitting the generic specification to the first operator network.