Abstract: The invention includes a method and apparatus for scheduling multicast transmissions in a wireless network by selecting one of a plurality of multicast groups of a cellular region that is permitted to transmit information during a current timeslot. A method includes receiving data rate request values from wireless user terminals of each of a plurality of multicast groups, assigning a data rate to each multicast group using the data rate request values of wireless user terminals belonging to the respective multicast groups, selecting one of the multicast groups using the assigned data rates, and transmitting information to the selected one of the multicast groups at the associated assigned data rate. In one embodiment, the multicast scheduling algorithm may be a multicast proportional fairness (MPF) scheduling algorithm which attempts to maximize utility value of data received by individual users.

Abstract: The invention provides for advertising content selection, presentation, and statistics reporting at a wireless user terminal. The invention includes a method for selecting a subset of advertising content for presentation at the wireless user terminal. The invention includes a method for presenting advertising content at a wireless user terminal in response to one or more conditions detected at the wireless user terminal. The invention includes a method for collecting advertising content presentation statistics and providing the advertising content presentation statistics to at least one network system. In one embodiment, the invention may include one or more of the advertising content selection, presentation, and statistics reporting functions.

Abstract: A virtual network is configured in a communication system in such a manner that the virtual network is not required to have associated therewith any particular physical home location, or more generally any dedicated arrangement of physical network infrastructure elements. The communication system includes a communication network, such as a wireless network or the Internet, connectable to one or more user communication elements. Information is received from a given one of the communication elements indicating association of the given communication element with a particular virtual network, and responsive to the received information the virtual network is configured to include the given communication element. The virtual network may be comprised entirely of remote users.

Abstract: The invention provides for advertising content selection, presentation, and statistics reporting at a wireless user terminal. The invention includes a method for selecting a subset of advertising content for presentation at the wireless user terminal. The invention includes a method for presenting advertising content at a wireless user terminal in response to one or more conditions detected at the wireless user terminal. The invention includes a method for collecting advertising content presentation statistics and providing the advertising content presentation statistics to at least one network system. In one embodiment, the invention may include one or more of the advertising content selection, presentation, and statistics reporting functions.

Abstract: The invention includes a method and apparatus for scheduling multicast transmissions in a wireless network by selecting one of a plurality of multicast groups of a cellular region that is permitted to transmit information during a current timeslot. A method includes receiving data rate request values from wireless user terminals of each of a plurality of multicast groups, assigning a data rate to each multicast group using the data rate request values of wireless user terminals belonging to the respective multicast groups, selecting one of the multicast groups using the assigned data rates, and transmitting information to the selected one of the multicast groups at the associated assigned data rate. In one embodiment, the multicast scheduling algorithm may be a multicast proportional fairness (MPF) scheduling algorithm which attempts to maximize utility value of data received by individual users.

Abstract: The new zooming feature of the present invention applies to video service on mobile phones. The feature offers more interaction between the end user and the video server and it provides more interesting viewing. It has the potential to become a service differentiator for video services provided by wireless service providers. Because the bandwidth required for the streams does not change, the only complexity incurred is the control message processing and the only extra storage required is at the video server or the proxy.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a new approach to enhance existing TV service on mobile phones. In addition to the video streams for TV programs carried over multicast or broadcast channel, a unicast channel is setup for each user to provide content that is interactive and less bandwidth intensive than the video stream for the TV program. Such interactive content could include TV guide, bios for cast members and vote casting for popular TV shows such as “American Idol”. The invention includes a method of providing enhanced content information to a mobile device capable of receiving TV programming, the mobile device having a GUI included therein for displaying the enhanced content information and transmitting information from said mobile device related to the enhanced content. The method comprises the steps of providing a unicast channel to said mobile device and transmitting the enhanced content via said unicast channel, the enhanced content related to a TV program being viewed on said mobile device.

Abstract: A virtual network is configured in a communication system in such a manner that the virtual network is not required to have associated therewith any particular physical home location, or more generally any dedicated arrangement of physical network infrastructure elements. The communication system includes a communication network, such as a wireless network or the Internet, connectable to one or more user communication elements. Information is received from a given one of the communication elements indicating association of the given communication element with a particular virtual network, and responsive to the received information the virtual network is configured to include the given communication element. The virtual network may be comprised entirely of remote users.

Abstract: In a multicast network, a method is employed for selecting a low cost multicast conference tree subject to an end-to-end delay constraint for transmissions between any two nodes in the tree that terminate conference participants. The method employs a constrained minimum cost Steiner tree selection technique that integrates facilities costs and a delay constraint into a single objective function to be minimized as the tree is incrementally configured. The method also incorporates a unique path delay metric (delta diameter) that indicates the effect on end-to-end delay resulting from the incremental addition of a next node to the Steiner tree.

Abstract: Large scale systems can be monitored and, if necessary have an action taken, by employing a knowledge machine that develops programs for at least two machines, the first machine being an information collection system which obtains the latest values of variables, which may be objects, and a second machine which employs the variables in the execution of the program developed for it by the knowledge machine to determine the current state of the large scale system. In response to the monitoring an action may be taken. Advantageously, the environment as it would have existed without the program which controls the second machine having taken previous action may be known, and this information is used to take further action now or in the future. Thus, the system is self learning and self adjusting, allowing it to optimize the environment in an adaptive manner.

Abstract: In a communications system, an image to be transmitted is holographically represented in accordance with the invention. Relying on a portion of the holographic representation selected from any part thereof, a receiver can provide an overall version of the transmitted image. This overall version is successively refined as the size of the aggregate portion of the representation received by the receiver increases.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interactive call identification of a call to a called party. Identifying messages, either text and voice, can be entered on a call-by call basis by the calling party to provide information regarding the call to enable the called party to screen the incoming call. Such identifying messages can include descriptive information about the identity of the caller, the subject matter of the call or any other user-user information. The identifying message is transmitted in the form of a real-time message sent by the caller and received by the party being called in advance of their accepting the call. The identifying message is created on a call-by-call basis by the calling party. The called party receives the identifying message and, after receiving the message, the called party can accept, forward or reject the incoming call based on the information provided in the identifying message. The calling party has the option of using either real-time or pre-recorded message functions.

Abstract: A method for simplifying computer protocols is disclosed which offers advantages in reducing the memory and processing requirements for invoking the protocol. In accordance with the present invention, a protocol is represented as a collection of communicating finite machines. The subset of services offered by the protocol desired by a user is also specified as a finite state machine. The method finds the thinned version of the protocol by comparing the finite state machine representation of the protocol with the finite state machine representation of the subset of desired services and keeps only that part of the protocol necessary for providing the desired subset of services.

Abstract: Digital signals, such as digitized television signals, are subjected to a source coding step followed by a channel mapping step. The source coding step causes the television signal to be represented by two or more data streams while, in the channel mapping step, the mapping is such that the data elements of the various data streams have differing probabilities of being erroneously detected at the receiver. In preferred embodiments, a first one of the aforementioned data streams carries components of the overall television signal which are regarded as the most important--for example the audio, the framing information, and the vital portions of the video information, such as motion compensation information--and that data stream is mapped such that its data elements have the lowest probability of error.

Abstract: An apparatus provides digital data representative of a compressed high definition video image signal in a manner such that a conventional video tape recorder (VTR) employing current electrical and mechanical technologies is adaptable for reading this data for display in special modes such as fast forward, reverse and still frame. To minimize the loss of data while the VTR is operating in one of these special modes, the data representative of the high definition image signal is decoded by the apparatus to yield available time slots in the data stream. These time slots are then filled with data which duplicates the most important of the original transmitted data then existing in other time slots in the data stream. This duplicating of the data increases the likelihood that the important picture information will be read by the VTR while operating in a special mode.

Abstract: An improved predictive encoder where the leak signal is a function of the buffer fullness of the encoder. More specifically, the signals stored in the encoder output buffer are further encoded based on the fullness of the buffer, and information about this further encoding is used in determining the leak factor level. In accordance with another improvement, this leak factor level is not constrained to granularity that is imposed by the decoder hardware. Removal of the constraint is accomplished by cycling through a sequence of permissible leak levels that averages at the desired level.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing gateways from formal specifications. We present an efficient procedure that computes protocol converters from formal specifications. This procedure has a polynomial number of computation steps. The method involves computation of a common subset of services. This common subset is used to compute the converter. Conditions under which the converter can be stateless are also described.

Abstract: The effects of perturbations in a decoder responsive to a signal encoded in a predictive coding schema are reduced by shortening the time needed to converge the decoder's prediction signal to that of the encoder. This is accomplished by temporarily altering the leak factor when it is known that a perturbation is about to manifest itself and by, in some situations, altering the incoming encoded signal itself.

Abstract: Blocks of HDTV picture information are selected for transmission at a plurality of channel rates of an HDTV transmitter. The size of each block of HDTV picture information is dependent on a target distortion parameter for the HDTV picture information. As a result of this selection, a portion of each block of HDTV picture information is transmitted at the lower channel rate, with the result that the HDTV transmitter range is maximized while maintaining a picture quality for the resulting HDTV video image.

Abstract: Digital signals, such as digitized television signals, are subjected to a source coding step followed by a channel mapping step. The source coding step causes the television signal to be represented by two or more data streams while, in the channel mapping step, the mapping is such that the data elements of the various data streams have differing probabilities of being erroneously detected at the receiver. In preferred embodiments, a first one of the aforementioned data streams carries components of the overall television signal which are regarded as the most important--for example the audio, the framing information, and the vital portions of the video information, such as motion compensation information--and that data stream is mapped such that its data elements have the lowest probability of error.