Abstract: A method for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) to a viewer. The method includes displaying one or more data slices representative of broadcast programming to a viewer. In response to input from the viewer, the displayed number of data slices is increased, for example, from one slice to two slices. In browser mode the viewer can scroll through multiple EPG data slices without selecting to view full mode EPG, while in full mode the EPG can expand from a single column of data slices to multiple columns of data slices based upon viewer selections. The EPGs of the present invention can display programming that a viewer is more likely to watch at a particular time than other programming. A data slice representing the predicted programming can be inserted into the EPG so that the viewer can identify programming that is likely to be of interest.

Abstract: Methods and computer program products are disclosed for providing Qos for Web applications via an internet service application programming interface (“ISAPI”) filter running on an internet information server, wherein the ISAPI filter uses a traffic control application programming interface to manage bandwidth for individual HTTP requests. Responses to HTTP requests can be prioritized based on policies defined by the Web application developer, wherein policy decisions may be made based on many different parameters, such as, for example, the IP address of the Web browser making the request, the type of browser being used, HTTP “cookies,” the uniform resource locator being requested, an authenticated user ID, or any other information that is exposed from the internet information server through server variables. The present invention accomplishes this with no modifications to the internet information server, and with very minimal changes to the Web application.

Abstract: Systems and methods for transcoding a video stream. An incoming video stream is spatially transcoded to reduce the bit rate of the video stream. The incoming video stream is decoded and the stream parameters are saved for use in generating the output video stream. The decoded video stream is resampled and the images are spatially reduced. Using the stream parameters of the incoming video stream, an outgoing video stream is generated. Some of the stream parameters are unchanged while others are re-computed for the outgoing video stream.

Abstract: EPG services are provided, which enables a device such as a computer, a set top box or the like to collect EPG data from multiple EPG data providers or sources. The EPG data is collected at the device by EPG loaders. Each EPG loader collects EPG data from a particular source. The EPG loaders deliver the EPG data to a writer module, which performs scaling and formatting functions to the EPG data. The writer module also stores the scaled and formatted EPG data in a database or other storage. Once stored, applications gain access to the EPG data through a control module. The writer module may also be implemented by chaining EPG loaders in a priority scheme. However, EPG loader interaction reduces independence and forces more rigid interface and implementation constraints upon the design of EPG loaders. The control module provides the accessed EPG data to the applications. EPG services function to isolate the operation of the applications from the EPG data sources.

Abstract: EPG services are provided, which enables a device such as a computer, a set top box or the like to collect EPG data from multiple EPG data providers or sources. The EPG data is collected at the device by EPG loaders. Each EPG loader collects EPG data from a particular source. The EPG loaders deliver the EPG data to a writer module, which performs scaling and formatting functions to the EPG data. The writer module also stores the scaled and formatted EPG data in a database or other storage. Once stored, applications gain access to the EPG data through a control module. The writer module may also be implemented by chaining EPG loaders in a priority scheme. However, EPG loader interaction reduces independence and forces more rigid interface and implementation constraints upon the design of EPG loaders. The control module provides the accessed EPG data to the applications. EPG services function to isolate the operation of the applications from the EPG data sources.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (GUI) includes a hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document. A video image from broadcast data is displayed in a same window with the HTML document.

Abstract: Methods and systems for scaling down a Web page image enables the image to be displayed on a standard television without horizontal scrolling of the image. A Web page image that initially has a horizontal dimension larger than the horizontal dimension of a television display is received from a web server and subsequently scaled down by a scaling factor that is based only upon the amount of scaling that is necessary to fit the image within the horizontal dimension of the television display. This scaling factor is used to scale the image horizontally and vertically, thus preserving the aspect ratio of the image. When a hyperlink from the scaled down Web page image is selected, coordinates to the hyperlink are scaled up based on the same scaling factor so that they will correspond with the server-side image map of the Web page image.

Abstract: Systems and methods for compositing an image directly from multiple source image data for reducing system memory footprint and bandwidth and for improving color quality of the image. The image is divided into spans, lines, and slices. Each line includes at least one span and each slice includes at least one line. All lines in a slice have spans associated with identical sources. An image is composited by reading the image data directly from one or more sources of each span. If necessary, the sources are blended. A control structure is used to provide the image context and identifies the sources of the spans. The control structure includes headers for each data stream from each source of each span. Also, the color quality of the image is improved by reducing the number of color space conversions that occur as the image is composited. All sources in the same color space are blended before being blended with sources from other color spaces. Preferably, no more than a single color conversion is required.

Abstract: Automatic compilation of address filter information that permits a cable modem to appropriately route incoming data packets to destination devices is described. Cable modems use address filter information to identify incoming data packets that are addressed to communication devices associated with the cable modem. The address filter information might be, for example, a list of addresses of communication devices that have previously registered with the cable modem. On occasion, the cable modem may have incorrect or insufficient or incomplete filter information when, for instance, a new communication device is added to a group of networked communication devices associated with the cable modem. In order to automatically recognize associated communication devices that are to be registered with the cable modem, a cable modem driver inspects the source address of outgoing data packets.

Abstract: A computer may be remotely accessed. At a first location, display commands are generated. The display commands are covered into a compressed video data stream. Each display element (5) is checked if it is encoded (52). If object is encoded, it is transcribed into MPEG (54). The image is adjusted for display (56) and compression (58). Additional steps of motion determination (60), change detection (62), compression depth and frame determination (66, 68) are executed. Then the data is transmitted to a second location. The display commands are decompressed and displayed as an image at the second location.

Abstract: A computer may be remotely accessed. At a first location, display commands are generated. The display commands are covered into a compressed video data stream. Each display element (5) is checked if it is encoded (52). If object is encoded, it is transcribed into MPEG (54). The image is adjusted for display (56) and compression (58). Additional steps of motion determination (60), change detection (62), compression depth and frame determination (66, 68) are executed. Then the data is transmitted to a second location. The display commands are decompressed and displayed as an image at the second location.

Abstract: A decoder decimates MPEG or other video data by subsampling the output of an inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) module. The decimation process is useful for reducing the volume of data that must be processed to display images on a display device, particularly when the volume of video data received at the decoder is greater than the amount needed to take advantage of the resolution of the display device. For example, high definition television data can be decimated for display on a standard television display device or in a picture-in-picture window, thereby reducing the amount of processing resources needed at the decoder and reducing the size of the frame buffers. Subsampling the output of the IDCT module reduces the volume of data and, for relatively static or constant pans, there is not a significant compounded loss of image quality as successive frames are decoded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for utilizing a high bandwidth communications channel for broadcasting network data during off-peak hours is disclosed. A demodulation unit includes, 1) a standard television broadcast signal receiver, the signal having a plurality of channels; 2) a partitioning unit configured to partition at least one channel of said plurality of channels into a plurality of variable size sub-channels; 3) a modulating unit configured to modulate a variety of different types of information into said plurality of sub-channels; and 4) a transmitter configured to transmit said plurality of sub-channels over a high bandwidth communications channel during off-peak hours.

Abstract: Transcoding of a video stream to reduce the size of the video stream with little, if any, loss in video quality after subsampling. After accessing a video stream of video pictures (i.e., video frames or fields), the blocks of the video picture are each subject to matrix pre-multiplication and post-multiplication. Such matrix multiplication does degrade the video quality if subsampling was not to occur. However, the pre-multiplication and post-multiplication matrices are calculated based on the subsampling matrices that will be used to ultimately subsample the video stream such that after subsampling eventually occurs, the matrix multiplications result in minimal loss of video quality.

Abstract: Transcoding of a video stream to reduce the size of the video stream with little, if any, loss in video quality after subsampling. After accessing a video stream of video pictures (i.e., video frames or fields), the blocks of the video picture are each subject to matrix pre-multiplication and post-multiplication. Such matrix multiplication does degrade the video quality if subsampling was not to occur. However, the pre-multiplication and post-multiplication matrices are calculated based on the subsampling matrices that will be used to ultimately subsample the video stream such that after subsampling eventually occurs, the matrix multiplications result in minimal loss of video quality.

Abstract: Adaptive deinterlacing of interlaced video to generate a progressive frame on a per pixel basis. Two consecutive fields of interlaced video are converted into a frame of progressive video. One of the fields is replicated to generate half the lines in the progressive frame. Each of the pixels in the other half of the progressive frame are generated pixel-by-pixel. For a given output position of the pixel in the other half of the progressive frame, a correlation is estimated between the corresponding pixel in the non-replicated field and at least one vertically adjacent pixel of the replicated field, and optionally one or more vertically adjacent pixels in the non-replicated fields. Also, three consecutive input fields of interlaced video may be converted into two output fields of interlaced video on a per pixel basis taking into consideration differences in the consecutive input fields.

Abstract: Decimating MPEG or other video data by subsampling the output of an inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) module. The decimation process is useful for reducing the volume of data that must be processed to display images on a display device, particularly when the volume of video data received at the decoder is greater than the amount needed to take advantage of the resolution of the display device. For example, high definition television data can be decimated for display on a standard television display device or in a picture-in-picture window, thereby reducing the amount of processing resources needed at the decoder and reducing the size of the frame buffers. Subsampling the output of the IDCT module reduces the volume of data and, for relatively static or constant pans, there is not a significant compounded loss of image quality as successive frames are decoded.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing interactive instructions directing a user how to establish interactivity between multiple consumer electronics devices. A first consumer electronics device is connected to the television set. The user is requested to identify another consumer electronics device to be connected to the first consumer electronics device or to the television set. The first consumer electronics device identifies the cables needed to establish the connection and then determines whether the user has the cables. If the user does not have the cables, they may be purchased online by the first consumer electronics device. Connection instructions describing how to establish the connection are displayed on the television set. After the user attempts to establish the connection, the first consumer electronics device optionally tests the connection to determine whether it is reliable and fully operable. If not, further instructions are displayed.

Abstract: Adaptive compensation for requantization. A reference picture is decoded. Another copy of the reference picture is then requantized and then decoded. Next, an error picture is calculated and stored. The error picture represents the difference between the reference picture as decoded without requantization and the reference picture as decoded with requantization. The error picture and the requantized reference picture are used to generate a predictive picture that at least partially compensates for generational error introduced by requantization. This compensation for error may be adaptively performed based on system conditions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for servicing the data and memory requirements of system devices. A DMA engine that includes a data reservoir for reducing or eliminating device buffers is provided that manages and arbitrates the data requests from the system devices. An arbitration unit is provided that only allows eligible devices to make a data request in any given cycle to ensure that all devices will be serviced within a programmable time period. The data reservoir contains the data buffers for each channel of each device. A memory interface ensures that sufficient data for each channel is present in the data reservoir by making requests to a system's memory based on an analysis of each channel. Analysis factors include how much data is remaining in the data reservoir, how long will that data last, and how long until the channel will be analyzed again. Based on this analysis, a request is either made to the system's main memory, or the channel waits until it is evaluated again in the future.