Abstract: The invention enables a standard client according to the DVB-IPI phase 1 standard and connected within a local area network interconnected with a service delivery network via a non-transparent gateway to discover all the services offered to it both by the external delivery network an d by the servers in its local area network. The invention is based mainly on a service discovery aggregation functionality that we call “SD & S proxy” implemented on any one of the devices connected to the local area network running jointly with an ad-hoc configuration of the gateway.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for receiving audiovisual programs sent by a server to at least two reception devices. Initially, a first user requests a document from the server that establishes a unicast stream to download said document. Then, a second user requests to receive the same document, even truncated by a part. The server studies the proposal and possibly, for a lower price, agrees to the download. The server then switches the broadcast of the document from a unicast stream to a multicast stream, the first and second devices receiving said document via the same multicast stream. The invention also relates to a device for receiving audiovisual content and a server for implementing the method.

Abstract: Methods for transmitting first packets encapsulated in second packets in a transmission system in which part of the first packets contain a first timing reference for synchronization of a receiver clock and at least part of said second packets contain a second timing reference for reducing transmission jitter of the second packets at the receiver is described. This method provides, at the transmitter, collecting first packets, determining whether a collected first packet contains a first timing reference and triggering transmission of a second packet encapsulating collected first packets including the first packet containing the first timing reference in response to a positive determination.

Abstract: A method is provided in order to determine connection topology of a home network. The main idea of the present invention is to send out a topology determination message on each link of the network, wherein the topology determination message is constituted of two consecutive packets, first one being a broadcast packet with a predetermined payload that identifies it as a topology determination packet, and second one being a unicast packet with the same content and a non-existent destination MAC address. If a node receives both the broadcast and unicast packet from a sending node, the sending node is determined to be on the same physical link with said receiving node and the MAC address of the sending node is added into a local link nodes list of said receiving node, otherwise if said receiving node receives only the broadcast packet from the sending node, the send node is determined not to be on the same physical link with said receiving node.

Abstract: The inventive method for reserving at least one node of a communication network like the Ethernet bus in the form of a predetermined fraction of the Ethernet bus bandwidth consists in circulating a token between the network nodes in such a way that they are enabled to successively transfer an Ethernet packet to a bus according to a given sequence which defines a chronological order for the token passage between nodes and in which a predetermined fraction of the bandwidth reserved for a network node corresponds in sequence to a certain number of passage occurrences of the token through the considered node. Said invention can be used for domestic communication networks like the Ethernet bus.

Abstract: The invention relates to audio and video interoperability over networks based on network technologies other than the 1394 bus. The invention relates more particularly to a method of discovery, by a device connectable to a communication network, of the other devices connected to this network, which comprises a step of connection of the device to the said network, a step of despatching of an announcement message containing autodescription information describing the device destined for all the other devices connected to this network, a step of despatching of an autodescription information request message to all the other devices connected to this network and a step of reception of a response message from each of the other devices of the network containing the autodescription information of this other device. The invention also relates to the corresponding connectable device.

Abstract: In a method of managing a request for remote access to a multimedia content, a corresponding datum stream is inserted at the instant or in a delayed manner with the set of the data streams being transmitted on a distribution network as a function of a capacity threshold of this network. Each data stream is of the variable-throughput type, with a data throughput profile corresponding, whose width corresponds to a time of transmission of the stream. The management of the request comprises a verification that the capacity of the network is not exceeded on the width of the profile, as a function of a given instant of insertion, of the throughput of the data stream or streams in progress on the said distribution network, obtained on the basis of the throughput profiles of these streams, and of the throughput profile of the requested stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for receiving audiovisual programs sent by a server to at least two reception devices. Initially, a first user requests a document from the server that establishes a unicast stream to download said document. Then, a second user requests to receive the same document, even truncated by a part. The server studies the proposal and possibly, for a lower price, agrees to the download. The server then switches the broadcast of the document from a unicast stream to a multicast stream, the first and second devices receiving said document via the same multicast stream. The invention also relates to a device for receiving audiovisual content and a server for implementing the method.

Abstract: The invention concerns a solution for detecting conditions of dearth and overflow of a client input buffer to a real time content distribution. Said detection is performed upstream of clients through a dynamic estimation of the fill factor of the input buffers of said clients. Thus, it is possible to predict the occurrence of dearth or overflow situations and to take actions such as inserting stored video sequences or storing queueing packets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a broadcast server of service information data streams, comprising a first step consisting in partitioning at least one part of the service information between the different streams, and a second step consisting in broadcasting the partition from the first step on at least two separate streams to a plurality of terminals.

Abstract: The invention relates to audio and video interoperability over networks based on network technologies other than the 1394 bus. The invention relates more particularly to a method of discovery, by a device connectable to a communication network, of the other devices connected to this network, which comprises a step of connection of the device to the said network, a step of despatching of an announcement message containing autodescription information describing the device destined for all the other devices connected to this network, a step of despatching of an autodescription information request message to all the other devices connected to this network and a step of reception of a response message from each of the other devices of the network containing the autodescription information of this other device. The invention also relates to the corresponding connectable device.

Abstract: The invention enables a standard client according to the DVB-IPI phase 1 standard and connected within a local area network interconnected with a service delivery network via a non-transparent gateway to discover all the services offered to it both by the external delivery network an d by the servers in its local area network. The invention is based mainly on a service discovery aggregation functionality that we call “SD & S proxy” implemented on any one of the devices connected to the local area network running jointly with an ad-hoc configuration of the gateway.

Abstract: A method for transmitting first packets encapsulated in second packets in a transmission system in which part of the first packets contain a first timing reference for synchronization of a receiver clock and at least part of said second packets contain a second timing reference for reducing transmission jitter of the second packets at the receiver is described. This method is characterized by the steps, at the transmitter, collecting first packets, determining whether a collected first packet contains a first timing reference and triggering transmission of a second packet encapsulating collected first packets including said first packet containing the first timing reference in response to a positive determination.

Abstract: In a method of managing a request for remote access to a multimedia content, a corresponding datum stream is inserted at the instant or in a delayed manner with the set of the data streams being transmitted on a distribution network as a function of a capacity threshold of this network. Each data stream is of the variable-throughput type, with a data throughput profile corresponding, whose width corresponds to a time of transmission of the stream. The management of the request comprises a verification that the capacity of the network is not exceeded on the width of the profile, as a function of a given instant of insertion, of the throughput of the data stream or streams in progress on the said distribution network, obtained on the basis of the throughput profiles of these streams, and of the throughput profile of the requested stream.

Abstract: A method is provided in order to determine connection topology of a home network. The main idea of the present invention is to send out a topology determination message on each link of the network, wherein the topology determination message is constituted of two consecutive packets, first one being a broadcast packet with a predetermined payload that identifies it as a topology determination packet, and second one being a unicast packet with the same content and a non-existent destination MAC address. If a node receives both the broadcast and unicast packet from a sending node, the sending node is determined to be on the same physical link with said receiving node and the MAC address of the sending node is added into a local link nodes list of said receiving node, otherwise if said receiving node receives only the broadcast packet from the sending node, the send node is determined not to be on the same physical link with said receiving node.

Abstract: The method can be used to provide a solution to the allocation of multicast addresses within a local area network by stream servers, particularly audio/video. This solution does not involve configuration or particular servers. The invention relies on the use of identifiers of the transmitted stream to construct the multicast address. Also, this method enables the transmission client to know the duly constructed multicast address to subscribe to a stream.

Abstract: The inventive method for reserving at least one node of a communication network like the Ethernet bus in the form of a predetermined fraction of the Ethernet bus bandwidth consists in circulating a token between the network nodes in such a way that they are enabled to successively transfer an Ethernet packet to a bus according to a given sequence which defines a chronological order for the token passage between nodes and in which a predetermined fraction of the bandwidth reserved for a network node corresponds in sequence to a certain number of passage occurrences of the token through the considered node. Said invention can be used for domestic communication networks like the Ethernet bus.

Abstract: The invention consists in a procedure for generating an address value within a terminal linked to a communication network. Initially, the terminal receives a pair of address values sent by a configured terminal. Then, the terminal determines a characteristic value of the network which is contained in the first and the second address values. The terminal then calculates a third address value containing the characteristic value of the network. Finally, the terminal assigns the third address value to the terminal if this value is not already assigned to another terminal. According to a refinement, the terminal sends a request to a terminal having this third request; if there is no response, this third address value does not belong to another terminal, so it can be assigned to the terminal to be configured. The invention also relates to the terminal designed to implement the procedure. The invention also relates to a terminal which receives a message comprising a first and a second address values.