Abstract: Methods and systems for defining a compression and reconstruction scheme of a media stream, for generating and transmitting a base media layer and enhancement data layers and for reconstructing compressed representations of the media stream from the base media layer and the enhancement data layers.

Abstract: A device, computer program product and a method, the method may include: extracting a first size information about sizes of different frames of a first segment of an encrypted first streaming media flow that has a first constant bit rate (CBR); extracting second size information about sizes of different frames of a second segment of a second streaming media flow that has a second CBR; and determining a relationship between qualities of the first and second streaming media flows based on the first and second size information; wherein the extracting of the first and second size information and the determining of the relationship are executed without decrypting the first and second encrypted streaming media flows.

Abstract: A method, system and a computer program product. The method may include: selecting, for each requested media file, a selected version of the media file based on (a) bit rates of the different versions of the requested media file, and (b) a bit rate allocated for a transmission of the requested media file to the client; generating a modified manifest file for each requested media file by removing retrieval information associated with all non-selected versions of requested media files; wherein each modified manifest file comprises retrieval information required only for a retrieval of a selected version of a requested media file associated with the modified manifest file; and sending to clients the modified manifest files.

Abstract: A device, computer program product and a method, the method may include: Extracting first size information about sizes of different frames of a first segment of an encrypted first streaming media flow that has a first CBR. Extracting second size information about sizes of different frames of a second segment of a second streaming media flow that has a second CBR that equals the second CBR. The extracting of the first and second size information and the determining of the relationship are executed without decrypting the first and second encrypted streaming media flows. Determining, based on first and second size information and on the first and second type information, a relationship between qualities of the first and second streaming media flows based on the first and second size information. Extracting first type information indicative of which frame of the first segment is the first reference frame and which frames of the first segment are the first non-reference frames.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a multiplex of media streams, the method includes the steps of: (i) receiving a set of media streams that comprises first type media stream components and second type media stream components; (ii) applying a modification process that is not adapted to modify second type media stream components, such as to provide at least one modified first type media stream component; and (iii) multiplexing at least the second type media stream components and the modified first type media stream components.

Abstract: A method for providing programs, the method includes: (i) providing a program multiplex to multiple users device; (ii) considering a removal of at least one program from the multiplex in response to program viewing parameters; (iii) allowing at least one user to respond to a possible removal of the program; and (iv) determining whether to remove the al least one program in response to received user removal responses. A user device that includes a transceiver unit that is connected to a controller, wherein the device is adapted to receive a program multiplex, to receive an indication that at least one program is to be removed from the multiplex, and to selectively transmit a program removal response.

Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a system, the method is for affecting a bit rate of a session, the method may include determining, to introduce a desired change in a bit rate (BR) allocated by a BR allocator for streaming a portion of a first stream that is expected to flow from a source entity to a target entity; wherein the bit rate allocator is expected to set the BR allocated to the streaming of the portion in response to a BR associated with the first stream; modifying a value of the BR associated with the first stream to cause the BR allocator to introduce the desired change in the BR allocated for streaming the portion; and causing the BR allocator module to be aware to the modified value without instructing the BR allocator to introduce the desired change.

Abstract: A method for providing programs, the method includes: (i) providing a program multiplex to multiple users device; (ii) considering a removal of at least one program from the multiplex in response to program viewing parameters; (iii) allowing at least one user to respond to a possible removal of the program; and (iv) determining whether to remove the al least one program in response to received user removal responses. A user device that includes a transceiver unit that is connected to a controller, wherein the device is adapted to receive a program multiplex, to receive an indication that at least one program is to be removed from the multiplex, and to selectively transmit a program removal response.

Abstract: Method and system for providing data, video and voice to a group of end user devices includes receiving end user device group quality of service rules and access network node bandwidth constraints; assigning multicast addresses and unicast addresses to end user devices of the group in response to the access node bandwidth constraints; and providing, in response to the end user device group quality of service rules and requests to receive services from the residential gateways, data, video and voice utilizing the assigned multicast addresses and unicast addresses. Further methods include receiving location information representative of distances between multiple end user devices and access nodes; defining end user bandwidth constraints in response to the location information and in response to access node bandwidth constraints; and providing, in response to the end user bandwidth constraints and to requests to receive services from the end user devices, data, compressed video and voice.

Abstract: A method, a computer readable medium and a policy enforcer, the policy enforcer may include: multiple pairs of interfaces; multiple data blades; a switch; at least one load balancing circuit; wherein each pair of interfaces is located along a path between a RAN and an external network through which information packets should have propagated at an absence of the policy enforcer; wherein the at least one load balancing circuit is arranged to select, for each information packet, a selected policy enforcing processor; wherein the at least one load balancing circuit is arranged to select is arranged to send each information packet over the switch to a selected policy enforcing processor; wherein each selected policy enforcing processor is arranged to perform a policy enforcing operation on each information packet associated with the selected policy enforcing processor.

Abstract: A system, method and a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable code embodied therein for providing content to a user, the method includes: generating, by a media provider, an instruction to fulfill a preliminary condition for receiving a second media conveying stream; transmitting the instruction to the user while also sending a first multicast media conveying stream; waiting for a preliminary condition fulfillment time period to lapse from an end of the transmitting of the instruction; and transmitting, by the media provider, the second media conveying stream towards the user, wherein the transmitting is initiated without being aware of an exact timing of a fulfillment of the preliminary condition.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable medium and a method for gathering user equipment (UE) location information from a radio access network (RAN), the method may include: intercepting a UE location message sent from the RAN towards a core network element configured to process UE location messages, wherein the intercepting is executed by an intermediate entity positioned between the RAN and the core network element; extracting UE location information from the UE location message; and preventing the core network element from receiving the location information embedded in the UE location message.

Abstract: A system, method and a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable code embodied therein for wirelessly broadcasting advertisements to handheld television receivers, the method includes: selecting a first advertisement to broadcast to a first group of handheld television receivers within a cell that are tuned to a first program; wherein the selecting is responsive to profiles of a first group of users that use the first group of handheld television receivers; selecting a second advertisement to broadcast to a second group of handheld television receivers within the cell that are tuned to a second program; wherein the selecting is responsive to profiles of a second group of users that use the second group of handheld television receivers; and wirelessly broadcasting a multiplex that comprises the first program, the second program, the first advertisement and the second advertisement.

Abstract: A method, system and a computer program product. The method may include: allocating or receiving allocated bit rates to a plurality of streaming media flows, each streaming media flow comprises a plurality of chunks and is expected to flow over a last mile channel that is bandwidth limited; receiving a plurality of chunk requests from clients that are hosted on user devices, each chunk request indicates a requested bit rate for streaming a media chunk that belongs to the streaming media flow; changing at least one chunk request to comply with an allocated bit rate, if the requested bit rate does not comply with the allocated bit rate, to provide at least one new chunk request; and sending the at least one new chunk request to a media streamer that is expected to stream the streaming media flow to the user device.

Abstract: A method, system and a computer program product. The method may include: allocating or receiving allocated bit rates to a plurality of streaming media flows, each streaming media flow comprises a plurality of chunks and is expected to flow over a last mile channel that is bandwidth limited; receiving a plurality of chunk requests from clients that are hosted on user devices, each chunk request indicates a requested bit rate for streaming a media chunk that belongs to the streaming media flow; changing at least one chunk request to comply with an allocated bit rate, if the requested bit rate does not comply with the allocated bit rate, to provide at least one new chunk request; and sending the at least one new chunk request to a media streamer that is expected to stream the streaming media flow to the user device.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable medium and a method for gathering user equipment (UE) location information from a radio access network (RAN), the method may include: intercepting a UE location message sent from the RAN towards a core network element configured to process UE location messages, wherein the intercepting is executed by an intermediate entity positioned between the RAN and the core network element; extracting UE location information from the UE location message; and preventing the core network element from receiving the location information embedded in the UE location message.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product, the method includes: locating within a media stream video of interest that starts at a random access point and ends at a packet associated with timing information that corresponds to a decoding time stamp of the random access point; modifying the video of interest to provide modified video of interest; wherein the modifying comprises modifying timing information associated with a beginning of the random access point to reflect a difference between the decoding time stamp and a transmission duration of the modified video of interest to a user; receiving a request, from the user, to perform a channel change and start receiving a channel that comprises the modified video of interest; and transmitting to the user the modified video of interest.

Abstract: A method, system and a computer program product. The method may include: receiving a plurality of chunk requests from clients that are hosted on user devices; generating, in response to a first chunk request of the plurality of chunk requests, a first set of chunk requests for receiving different bit rate versions of the first chunk; sending to a media streamer the first set of chunk requests; receiving, from the media streamer, the different bit rate versions of the first chunk; generating a first new chunk, based on bit rate allocated for streaming of a media flow to the first client; wherein the first new chunk comprises a plurality of frames selected from at least two bit rate versions of the first chunk; and assisting in streaming to the first client, the first new chunk.

Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a system, the method is for affecting a bit rate of a session, the method may include determining, to introduce a desired change in a bit rate (BR) allocated by a BR allocator for streaming a portion of a first stream that is expected to flow from a source entity to a target entity; wherein the bit rate allocator is expected to set the BR allocated to the streaming of the portion in response to a BR associated with the first stream; modifying a value of the BR associated with the first stream to cause the BR allocator to introduce the desired change in the BR allocated for streaming the portion; and causing the BR allocator module to be aware to the modified value without instructing the BR allocator to introduce the desired change.

Abstract: A method for providing programs, the method includes: (i) providing a program multiplex to multiple users device; (ii) considering a removal of at least one program from the multiplex in response to program viewing parameters; (iii) allowing at least one user to respond to a possible removal of the program; and (iv) determining whether to remove the al least one program in response to received user removal responses. A user device that includes a transceiver unit that is connected to a controller, wherein the device is adapted to receive a program multiplex, to receive an indication that at least one program is to be removed from the multiplex, and to selectively transmit a program removal response.