Abstract: A system is provided for the controlling the transmission of best-effort filed data or programs on channels from one of plural controllers to one or more client nodes. A program is a group of files and has program information indicating to a client node how to use the files of the program. A channel is a virtual path, wherein a client node can receive program files from different channels in a separate fashion. Channels also have channel information. Multiple controllers are provided which self configure in rank order to control the schedule transmission of programs files on channels. Client nodes receive announcements of programs and channels from the controllers and selectively subscribe to the channels and programs. Client nodes can be instructed to positively acknowledge receipt of programs and also send back negative acknowledgements for ranges of data words in a program files not received. The negative acknowledgements can be consolidated to reduce the number of packets on the network.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for controlling the generation of a systems layer stream, such as a transport stream, that carries a program made up of at least one elementary stream, such as an encoded audio signal or an encoded video signal. The systems layer stream is made up of serial segments, such as packets, which contain information specific to the systems layer, such as headers, and segments of elementary stream data. The bit rate of one or more of the elementary streams is adapted in accordance with a dynamically changing relation that relates the bit rate of such elementary streams to the bit rate of the portion of the systems layer stream that carries them.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for controlling the generation of a systems layer stream, such as a transport stream, that carries a program made up of at least one elementary stream, such as an encoded audio signal or an encoded video signal. The systems layer stream is made up of serial segments, such as packets, which contain information specific to the systems layer, such as headers, and segments of elementary stream data. The bit rate of one or more of the elementary streams is adapted in accordance with a dynamically changing relation that relates the bit rate of such elementary streams to the bit rate of the portion of the systems layer stream that carries them.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for revising the time stamp information in an MPEG-2 encoded data transport stream after content in the transport stream is modified. Incoming packets are stamped with arrival times and packet sequence counts. Synchronization points within the elementary stream are identified and arrival times for those synchronization points are calculated. After elementary streams are modified, commensurate arrival times are calculated based on arrival times and packet sequence counts of incoming packets, as well as the arrival times of the identified synchronization points within the elementary stream and the bit ratio between the incoming packets and the modified outgoing packets. Calculated arrival times are stamped on the outgoing packets and used to time the output of the outgoing stream.

Abstract: A redundant remultiplexer includes two media control modules, wherein, if the primary module operates in an input mode, the backup module performs the same processing of packets as the primary module but only transmits processed packets to a switch if the primary module fails, and wherein, if the primary module is operating in an output mode, the backup module performs the same processing as the primary output module on the same sequence of packets received from the switch, but the backup module only outputs the processed packets if the primary module fails.

Abstract: A broadcast satellite network transmits from a source to multiple router nodes digital real-time program information and best-effort data. The router nodes are specifically suited for extracting best-effort data streams from the multiplexed signal received via, e.g., a satellite. A number of management techniques are disclosed. According to one technique, a packet is formed having a network layer header, including a destination address for routing a packet to a destination, a second header identifying a syntax and semantic by which a payload of the packet may be parsed in a predefined fashion, and a payload containing a command to be executed by each of one or more to-be-managed nodes to which the packet is destined. The packet is transmitted a plural amount of times to a plurality of nodes, including the one or more to-be-managed nodes, but the command in the particular packet is executed only a single time. According to other techniques, the nodes are divided into groups.

Abstract: A broadcast satellite network transmits from a source to multiple router nodes digital real-time program information and best-effort data. The router nodes are specifically suited for extracting best-effort data streams from the multiplexed signal received via, e.g., a satellite. A number of management techniques are disclosed. According to one technique, a packet is formed having a network layer header, including a destination address for routing a packet to a destination, a second header identifying a syntax and semantic by which a payload of the packet may be parsed in a predefined fashion, and a payload containing a command to be executed by each of one or more to-be-managed nodes to which the packet is destined. The packet is transmitted a plural amount of times to a plurality of nodes, including the one or more to-be-managed nodes, but the command in the particular packet is executed only a single time. According to other techniques, the nodes are divided into groups.

Abstract: A data communication system and method that wirelessly broadcasts the full content of digital network source information to a user is accomplished by software tools that content source, schedule, and transmit and receive computer-type digital information over a broadband broadcast medium. The data communication system is independent of any broadcast hardware, and can be used to schedule the broadcast of many different services, such as standard files, web sites, program guide and rotating files, by IP-Multicast, RS422, RS232, and TCP/IP communications capable of broadcasting via conduits that comprise television VBI, radio subcarrier, satellite (DSS,DVB), MPEG-2, paging networks, telephone networks, local area networks, and the Internet at the same time. The file contents are sent in pieces (or packets) to a broadcaster hardware in a data stream, that are formatted for being reconstructed into files by the client receiver.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an input capable of receiving a bandwidth optimized transport stream is provided. The bandwidth optimized transport stream can be produced by receiving a transport stream of variably compressed program data bearing transport packets and one or more null transport packets. One or more of the null transport packets is selectively replaced with another to-be-remultiplexed non-null data bearing transport packet. Independently of determining an amount of information carried by a program data bearing transport packets from time to time in the received transport stream, at least one selected program bearing transport packet is scheduled for output in an output remultiplexed bitstream.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for remultiplexing program bearing data. The remultiplexing method and system are applicable to MPEG-2 compliant transport streams carrying video programs. A descriptor based system is used for scheduling the timely output of transport packets wherein each descriptor records a dispatch time as well as a receipt time for each transport packet. The receipt time is used for estimating program clock reference adjustments, but final program clock reference adjustment is performed in hardware in relation to the precise output timing of each transport packets. A descriptor and transport packet caching technique is used for decoupling the synchronous receipt and transmission of transport packets from any asynchronous processing performed thereon. The descriptors can also be used for managing scrambling and descrambling control words (encryption and decryption keys). Remultiplexing functions may be distributed across a network.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for remultiplexing program bearing data. The remultiplexing method and system are applicable to MPEG-2 compliant transport streams carrying video programs. A descriptor based system is used for scheduling the timely output of transport packets wherein each descriptor records a dispatch time as well as a receipt time for each transport packet. The receipt time is used for estimating program clock reference adjustments, but final program clock reference adjustment is performed in hardware in relation to the precise output timing of each transport packets. A descriptor and transport packet caching technique is used for decoupling the synchronous receipt and transmission of transport packets from any asynchronous processing performed thereon. The descriptors can also be used for managing scrambling and descrambling control words (encryption and decryption keys). Remultiplexing functions may be distributed across a network.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for remultiplexing program bearing data. The remultiplexing method and system are applicable to MPEG-2 compliant transport streams carrying video programs. A descriptor based system is used for scheduling the timely output of transport packets wherein each descriptor records a dispatch time as well as a receipt time for each transport packet. The receipt time is used for estimating program clock reference adjustments, but final program clock reference adjustment is performed in hardware in relation to the precise output timing of each transport packets. A descriptor and transport packet caching technique is used for decoupling the synchronous receipt and transmission of transport packets from any asynchronous processing performed thereon. The descriptors can also be used for managing scrambling and descrambling control words (encryption and decryption keys). Remultiplexing functions may be distributed across a network.