Abstract: A method and apparatus for downloading content within a video-on-demand system is provided herein. During operation a Video Home Office (VHO) will cache a subset of the Video Service Office (VSO) content. When a user requests content that is not stored on the VHO, the VHO will request that content from another VHO or the VSO. In order to reduce the additional network load imposed during item forwarding while attempting to balance the total load on all the links interconnecting the VSO and VHOs, recorded traffic history metrics are used to predict their future or current traffic. A VHO or VSO is chosen for fetching the content that will result in the lowest predicted traffic on the interconnecting links.

Abstract: A remote control device for a separate electronic device to be controlled has a secondary display screen, at least one user-input mechanism, and at least one microprocessor running a user interface application for use in providing control over operation of the electronic device to be controlled. The user interface application causes a user interface to be displayed on the display screen of the remote control device, and the user interface displayed on the display screen graphically mirrors a corresponding user interface independently run by the electronic device to be controlled. The remote control device also has a transmitter and receiver mounted within the body enabling a two-way wireless communication link to be established with the electronic device to be controlled. Apparatus and a method for controlling operation of a media display system are also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allocating resources to a node in an ad-hoc communication system is provided herein. During operation, nodes of the system will receive resource allocations from their parent node. The resource allocation comprises a portion of available resources that may vary in size. Each node will determine the resource needs for its children nodes only and then dynamically assign resources to them. The resources assigned to the children nodes comprise a portion of the resources assigned to the node by its parent node. Additionally, knowledge as to how the children further allocate resources to their own children is not known by the parent, however, the children nodes must allocate a portion of their resource to their children nodes.

Abstract: Resources are assigned in a network of sensor nodes by a first sensor node of the network detecting an event and collecting data samples for the event, exchanging messages with other sensor nodes of the network that detect the event to form a community of sensor nodes. Based on information exchanged, the total data samples collected for the event is calculated and the community sends a help message to other sensor nodes. The other sensor nodes are assigned to cover the event if the potential marginal gain if they were to cover the event exceeds a threshold. The potential marginal gain comprises the expected change in a utility function that is dependent upon the total data samples collected for the event by the community. The utility function is a concave function of the total data samples and may be dependent upon an importance level of the event.

Abstract: During each node's awake period, each node multicasts the relative time or slot of their next awake period (beaconing interval) to all neighboring nodes. This enables each node to intelligently and independently schedule the time slot of its next transmission based on the beaconing intervals of the nodes it has heard from. During each active (awake) interval, a node builds statistics of the future transmission/receive times of its neighbors and uses them to determine its next transmission time. In one proposed implementation, at the end of an active interval, a node picks the time slot with the highest counter for its next transmission. In another proposed implementation, at the end of an active interval, a node picks one of the slots with a weighted probability; the weight of each slot is proportional with the value of the counter associated with the slot.

Abstract: A method, apparatus (100) and system (200) for altering the playback speed of recorded content (105) to match a target syllable rate is provided. A user may enter a desired, target playback syllable rate through a user interface (101), such as a keypad or touch screen. Alternatively, the target playback syllable rate may be determined from identification of the source of the recorded content (105). An actual playback syllable rate (106) associated with the recorded content (105) is then determined. The recorded content (105) is then altered, by time domain harmonic scaling in one embodiment, such that the altered playback speed (109) substantially matches the target playback syllable rate. In so doing, a listener is able to receive recorded content (105) at a faster or slower rate than it is produced.

Abstract: During each node's awake period, each node multicasts the relative time or slot of their next awake period (beaconing interval) to all neighboring nodes. This enables each node to intelligently and independently schedule the time slot of its next transmission based on the beaconing intervals of the nodes it has heard from. During each active (awake) interval, a node builds statistics of the future transmission/receive times of its neighbors and uses them to determine its next transmission time. In one proposed implementation, at the end of an active interval, a node picks the time slot with the highest counter for its next transmission.

Abstract: During operation, a node (104) will determine a particular probability of achieving a successful location. When battery resources are below a threshold the node will utilize a minimum probability for success in determining how many time-slots to collect RSSI measurements. However, if battery resources are above the threshold, a higher probability of achieving a successful location than the minimum may be utilized. After the particular probability of achieving a successful location is determined, a number of time-slots (L) are determined. L comprises a number of time slots that the node must remain awake for to achieve the particular probability of achieving a successful location. The node will then remain awake for L time slots, and compute a location based on measurements taken within those L time slots.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allocating resources to a node in an ad-hoc communication system is provided herein. During operation, nodes of the system will receive resource allocations from their parent node. The resource allocation comprises a portion of available resources that may vary in size. Each node will determine the resource needs for its children nodes only and then dynamically assign resources to them. The resources assigned to the children nodes comprise a portion of the resources assigned to the node by its parent node. Additionally, knowledge as to how the children further allocate resources to their own children is not known by the parent, however, the children nodes must allocate a portion of their resource to their children nodes.

Abstract: A wireless sensor node can obtain (102) a wireless sensor node group affiliation pursuant to an affiliation formation process and then subsequently transmit (103) information regarding that wireless sensor node group affiliation. By one approach this affiliation formation process can comprise, at least in part, using wireless sensor node group affiliation information as corresponds to other wireless sensor nodes. Such wireless sensor node group affiliation information as corresponds to other wireless sensor nodes might be received, for example, directly from that other wireless sensor node and/or via an intermediary wireless sensor node that acts to forward such information from the other wireless sensor node.

Abstract: A wireless sensor node can request, responds to requests for, and maintain executable code (101), including executable code for which the wireless sensor node is itself tasked with executing. Upon receiving (102), however, a request for executable code that the wireless sensor node is not itself tasked with executing, one determines (103) whether to forward that request. This determination can be based upon any of a variety of decision-making criteria as may pertain to a given application setting (such as whether a different wireless sensor node is, in fact, already responding to this request for executable code, information regarding a number of hops to a known point of executable code injection as may be required to facilitate transport of the executable code from that source to a requesting wireless sensor node, and whether the wireless sensor node itself has locally cached the requested executable code).

Abstract: A self-contained installation program having at least one payload condition is provided (314) and distributed (316) to a plurality of selected nodes, using a wireless link, that subsequently installs the self-contained program based, at least in part, on a correspondence with the at least one payload condition. Examples of such payload conditions include, but are not limited to, an ability to sense at least one physical property, a deployment role or physical address of the receiving node, a physical location of the receiving node, available node resources, group membership, and so forth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for provisioning a node with executable code is provided herein. Prior to sending out a code request, a node (101) determines a set of nodes that may potentially host the requested code and sends the request to these nodes instead of a blind broadcast. The determination of what nodes have access to the required code is based on a history information of code request of the node, the overhead traffic, and/or application dependencies that are available to the node. The code request is unicast-based and may involve a multi-hop path for both code requests and responses. If this step fails, a broadcast-based approach can be again employed to request the code.

Abstract: Energy-efficient discovery techniques are provided for a client node to discover at least one peer provider node in an ad hoc network. For example, the client node can be configured to turn on its first ad hoc interface while in a discovery mode to establish a channel for a first time period. The client node can then transmit a first beacon to advertise its presence to other nodes within the transmission range of the client node to acquire service information from at least one of a plurality of prospective peer provider nodes within the transmission range of the client node. At least one of the prospective peer provider nodes is configured to turn on its second ad hoc interface for a second period of time to listen for beacons from other nodes. The second period of time is less than or equal to the first period of time.

Abstract: Resources are assigned in a network of sensor nodes by a first sensor node of the network detecting an event and collecting data samples for the event, exchanging messages with other sensor nodes of the network that detect the event to form a community of sensor nodes. Based on information exchanged, the total data samples collected for the event is calculated and the community sends a help message to other sensor nodes. The other sensor nodes are assigned to cover the event if the potential marginal gain if they were to cover the event exceeds a threshold. The potential marginal gain comprises the expected change in a utility function that is dependent upon the total data samples collected for the event by the community. The utility function is a concave function of the total data samples and may be dependent upon an importance level of the event.

Abstract: Energy-efficient discovery techniques are provided for a client node to discover at least one peer provider node in an ad hoc network. For example, the client node can be configured to turn on its first ad hoc interface while in a discovery mode to establish a channel for a first time period. The client node can then transmit a first beacon to advertise its presence to other nodes within the transmission range of the client node to acquire service information from at least one of a plurality of prospective peer provider nodes within the transmission range of the client node. At least one of the prospective peer provider nodes is configured to turn on its second ad hoc interface for a second period of time to listen for beacons from other nodes. The second period of time is less than or equal to the first period of time.

Abstract: Generally speaking, pursuant to these various embodiments, a wireless sensor node (200) that is downstream of another wireless sensor node can provide (101) data as corresponds to a sensed condition and which is to be wirelessly transmitted upstream to a collection point via that other wireless sensor node and then determine (102) when to transmit that data as a function, at least in part, of data aggregation opportunities as may exist with respect to that other wireless sensor node. By one approach, a given data aggregation opportunity can comprise, for example, aggregating data regarding a plurality of temporally-differentiated sensed conditions and/or aggregating data from a plurality of wireless sensor nodes (such as, but not limited to, yet another wireless sensor node that is also downstream of the other wireless sensor node).

Abstract: Frame collisions on communication channels connecting half-duplex units and a full-duplex unit are avoided using MAC and LLC layer protocols adapted to arbitrate channel usage. One or more flags can be included in MAC and LLC packet headers and/or acknowledgements to indicate whether subsequent packet transmissions will be attempted by sending units. Units receiving set flags can hold off transmission until receiving cleared flags from the sending units. In this manner, packet collisions can be avoided.

Abstract: Frame collisions on communication channels connecting half-duplex units and a full-duplex unit are avoided using MAC and LLC layer protocols adapted to arbitrate channel usage. One or more flags can be included in MAC and LLC packet headers and/or acknowledgements to indicate whether subsequent packet transmissions will be attempted by sending units. Units receiving set flags can hold off transmission until receiving cleared flags from the sending units. In this manner, packet collisions can be avoided.

Abstract: A communication device employs a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving information packets using multiple layers of error detection. A sending communication device constructs an information packet to include user information divided into multiple data blocks, a primary error detection code for each data block, and at least a portion of a secondary protection code. The secondary protection code provides error protection for the entire information packet. The secondary protection code is selected such that it can be incrementally determined by a receiving device as data blocks are received and accepted by the receiving device, regardless of order of reception of the data blocks. Since the secondary protection code is incrementally determined, processor utilization is better regulated and delays associated with sending acknowledgments are minimized.