Abstract: A method of operating a multi-processor video encoder by determining a target size corresponding to a preferred number of bits to be used when creating an encoded version of a picture in a group of sequential pictures making up a video sequence. The method includes the steps of calculating a first degree of fullness of a coded picture buffer at a first time, operating on the first degree of fullness to return an estimated second degree of fullness of the coded picture buffer at a second time, and operating on the second degree of fullness to return an initial target sized for the picture. The first time corresponds to the most recent time an accurate degree of fullness of the coded picture buffer can be calculated and the second time occurs after the first time.

Abstract: A method of operating a multi-processor video encoder by determining a target size corresponding to a preferred number of bits to be used when creating an encoded version of a picture in a group of sequential pictures making up a video sequence. The method includes the steps of calculating a first degree of fullness of a coded picture buffer at a first time, operating on the first degree of fullness to return an estimated second degree of fullness of the coded picture buffer at a second time, and operating on the second degree of fullness to return an initial target sized for the picture. The first time corresponds to the most recent time an accurate degree of fullness of the coded picture buffer can be calculated and the second time occurs after the first time.

Abstract: A transparent routing device disposed within an access network configured in accordance with one or more lower-layer protocols is disclosed herein. The device includes a set of subscriber-side ports. Each of the subscriber-side ports is associated with a plurality of virtual subscriber-side interfaces disposed to effectively terminate a corresponding plurality of subscriber-side connections with subscriber host devices served by the access network. The device further includes at least one network-side port through which communication occurs with an external network in accordance with a higher-layer protocol. A routing table is configured to establish a correspondence between network addresses of the subscriber host devices and the plurality of virtual subscriber-side interfaces. During operation of the device, packets received through the at least one network-side port are forwarded to corresponding ones of the virtual subscriber-side interfaces based upon network addresses of the packets.

Abstract: Information needed to generate an encoded version of a matrix of j transform coefficients c0 . . . cj?1 representing a block of digital video data is determined by forming a numerical signature ? of the matrix and looking up a value for the information needed in an array employing the signature ? as an index to the array.

Abstract: Information needed to generate an encoded version of a matrix of j transform coefficients c0 . . . cj?1 representing a block of digital video data is determined by forming a numerical signature ? of the matrix and looking up a value for the information needed in an array employing the signature ? as an index to the array.

Abstract: Apparatus for delivering operating power from a data terminus to a utilization device includes a first data connection connecting the data terminus to a data repeater station and a second data connection connecting the data repeater station to the utilization device. A first power sourcing equipment delivers DC operating power to the data repeater station over a physical layer of the first data connection. A second power sourcing equipment at the repeater station receives operating power over the physical layer of the first data connection and delivers operating power over a physical layer of the second data connection to the utilization device.

Abstract: An xDSL modem apparatus for installation on a telephone jack wall plate. The apparatus includes a port for transmitting and receiving carrier waves, a low-pass filtering means, a high-pass filtering means, and a band-pass filtering means. The low-pass filtering means isolates low-frequency component of a received composite carrier wave below a first frequency and transmitting the isolated low-frequency component of the composite carrier wave. The high-pass filtering means isolates a high-frequency component of the composite carrier wave above a second frequency. The band-pass filtering means isolates a power component of the composite carrier wave, the power component being in a frequency range between the first and second frequencies. The apparatus also includes an xDSL modem for demodulating the high-frequency component of the composite carrier wave in order to recover a computer readable bitstream and for modulating a high-frequency carrier wave with a received computer readable bitstream.

Abstract: A method of splicing video content from a secondary encoded video stream into a primary encoded video stream, the method including the steps of identifying a splice out-time tout and a splice in-time tin, at least T time after tout, in the primary stream; causing the fullness of primary encoder's virtual buffer to be less than XB, where X is greater than 0 and less than 1, at the first decode times after tout and tin; encoding the secondary stream such that an initial coded picture is transmitted in no more than B/(XR) time, and encoding the second stream such that, at a final coded picture's decode time, the fullness of the secondary encoder's virtual buffer is less than XB; and replacing video content of the primary stream from tout through tout+T, with the video data of the second stream.

Abstract: A video conferencing terminal includes an encoder that receives a baseband audio signal and a baseband video signal and creates compressed audio packets and compressed audio-video packets. A network interface driver receives the compressed audio packets and the compressed audio-video packets, IP encapsulates the compressed audio packets and the compressed audio-video packets, transmits the IP packets onto an IGMP network. The network interface driver also requests audio packets and audio-video packets from the network and recovers compressed audio packets and compressed audio-video packets from the IP packets received from the network. A decoder receives compressed audio packets and compressed audio-video packets from the network interface driver and generates a baseband video signal and multiple baseband audio signals.

Abstract: A transparent routing device disposed within an access network configured in accordance with one or more lower-layer protocols is disclosed herein. The device includes a set of subscriber-side ports. Each of the subscriber-side ports is associated with a plurality of virtual subscriber-side interfaces disposed to effectively terminate a corresponding plurality of subscriber-side connections with subscriber host devices served by the access network. The device further includes at least one network-side port through which communication occurs with an external network in accordance with a higher-layer protocol. A routing table is configured to establish a correspondence between network addresses of the subscriber host devices and the plurality of virtual subscriber-side interfaces. During operation of the device, packets received through the at least one network-side port are forwarded to corresponding ones of the virtual subscriber-side interfaces based upon network addresses of the packets.

Abstract: A transparent routing device disposed within an access network configured in accordance with one or more lower-layer protocols is disclosed herein. The device includes a set of subscriber-side ports. Each of the subscriber-side ports is associated with a plurality of virtual subscriber-side interfaces disposed to effectively terminate a corresponding plurality of subscriber-side connections with subscriber host devices served by the access network. The device further includes at least one network-side port through which communication occurs with an external network in accordance with a higher-layer protocol. A routing table is configured to establish a correspondence between network addresses of the subscriber host devices and the plurality of virtual subscriber-side interfaces. During operation of the device, packets received through the at least one network-side port are forwarded to corresponding ones of the virtual subscriber-side interfaces based upon network addresses of the packets.

Abstract: A method of, and an apparatus for, providing broadband services to multiple remote units located at a client premise via a single communication line are provided. Authorization data is communicated from distribution equipment to the remote units and the authorization data authorizes one of the remote units to transmit data to the distribution equipment. The authorization data is included in a DSL frame and is sequentially changed thereby sequentially to authorize each remote unit one at a time to transmit data. The distribution equipment provides the authorization data in a control word of a frame header of a VDSL frame.

Abstract: A constant bit rate single program encoded transport stream is demultiplexed from a statistically multiplexed MPEG transport stream by separating a variable bit rate program from the multiplexed MPEG transport stream, loading the sequence of pictures that form the variable bit rate program into a smoothing buffer at a rate that does not exceed a desired constant bit rate and transferring the picture from the smoothing buffer at times indicated by decode time stamps associated with the pictures respectively. If a picture of the sequence becomes available no later than a specified amount of time prior to the picture's decode time stamp, then that picture is loaded into the smoothing buffer commencing the specified amount of time prior to the time indicated by the picture's decode time stamp. If a picture of the sequence becomes available later than the specified amount of time prior to the picture's decode time stamp, then that picture is loaded into the smoothing buffer as soon as possible.

Abstract: Variation in delay in transmission of data from a transmitting station to a receiving station is measured by encapsulating a portion of the data and an outgoing time stamp in a packet, the outgoing time stamp substantially representing the degree of progression of a periodic process at the time of including the outgoing time stamp in the packet. The packet is transmitted from the transmitting station and is received at the receiving station. At the receiving station, an incoming time stamp is added to the packet. The incoming time stamp substantially represents the degree of progression of a periodic process at the time of adding the incoming time stamp to the packet. The incoming time stamp is compared to the outgoing time stamp.

Abstract: A method of rate control using a picture-based lookahead sliding window in a dual-pass transcoder/encoder compressed video architecture extracts statistics from an input video signal according to a simple compression standard, the input video signal being a compressed video signal for transcoding or an uncompressed video signal for encoding. A trans-factor is calculated for a current picture based on previous pictures in a sliding window to predict the complexity of the current picture, the trans-factor being a ratio of global complexity measures for the simple compression standard versus a sophisticated compression standard. Bits for the current picture are then allocated based on the complexity of future pictures in the sliding window. After encoding the current picture according to the sophisticated compression standard, the target bits of and the picture complexity in the sliding window, as well as the trans-factor, are updated as the window is moved by one picture.

Abstract: A rate and delivery time multiplexing for bandwidth optimization algorithm has an allocation portion and a transrating portion. The allocation portion determines how many bits are available for each group of pictures in each program stream that is to be inserted into an outgoing MPEG Transport Stream (MTS). Based upon the allocated bits the transrating portion, when necessary, further compresses the program streams either in the compressed domain when rate reduction is minimal or in the pixel domain when rate reduction is significant. The result is the ability to transmit more video program streams over a given fixed bandwidth pipe for a given level of acceptable picture degradation.

Abstract: A method of automatically determining a peak level of a signal propagated on a carrier medium, such as for example POTS wiring, includes detecting a traversal of a noise threshold level by a data signal. The noise threshold level is determined relative to a noise floor. A determination is then made as to whether the data signal traverses a peak level within a predetermined time interval after the detection of the traversal of the noise threshold level. The peak level is then varied in accordance with the determination of whether the data signal traversed the peak level within the predetermined time interval. For example, should the data signal not traversed the peak level within the predetermined time interval, the peak level may be lowered. Alternatively, should the data signal traversed the peak level within the predetermined time interval, the peak level may be raised.

Abstract: A method of dynamically, and automatically, varying the sensitivity of a receiver coupled to receive signals on a carrier medium, such as for example POTS wiring, includes the step of detecting whether more than a predetermined number of noise events, such as for example traversals of a noise threshold level, occur within a predetermined time. If the predetermined number of noise events occur, the sensitivity of the receiver is automatically varied by a predetermined increment. For example, the noise threshold level may be raised by a predetermined voltage to vary the sensitivity of the receiver.

Abstract: A filter arrangement, for shaping a signal transmitted over POTS wiring, includes an input to receive a signal. The filter arrangement includes a signal path from the input to an output that is coupled to POTS wiring. The transmit path includes a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, and a trap filter coupled between the high and the low-pass filter. The trap filter operationally introduces a filter zero at a resonant frequency of the high-pass filter.

Abstract: An apparatus for resynchronizing data between two modules sharing a common clock where the common clock is delayed at the second module has means for storing multiple copies of the data in the first module in a recirculating manner using a Johnson counter to cycle through storage locations. A multiplexer in the second module has the copies from the first module as inputs and selects in response to a select signal generated from the delayed version of the common clock and an enable signal from the Johnson counter synchronizing each of the copies in turn such that the copy selected has just not been written or is just not about to be written to assure that the data is in a stable state.