Abstract: A system and method for allowing an end-user to interact with a system in order to execute an application. Multiple application packets are broadcast to a plurality of end-users, such that the upstream transmission of data from end-users is greatly reduced. Each end-ser further receives media packets, whereas visual objects relating to the application can be displayed on an end-user display unit with visual objects originating from the media packets.

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 for providing programs 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: 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: Broadband multimedia system including a communication bus, a router, connected to the communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters, a session manager, connected to communication bus, where the session manager provides routing instructions to the router, for directing data received from the media sources to the network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network.

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: Broadband multimedia system including a communication bus, a router, connected to the communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters, a session manager, connected to communication bus, where the session manager provides routing instructions to the router, for directing data received from the media sources to the network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for compressing a group of basic media data units, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving the group of basic media data units; (b) for each basic media data unit of the group performing the steps of: (b1) partially decoding the basic media data unit; (b2) determining whether to reduce the size of the basic media data unit of the received block in view of a predefined relationship between a predefined compression ratio (PCRA) and a residual ratio (RR); (b3) reducing the size of the basic media data unit, in view of the determination, such that an optimal reduction to quality degradation of the basic media data block is achieved; and (b4) partially encoding the basic media data unit.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and a method for providing a multiplexed sequence, the multiplexed sequence including at least one sequence of basic media data units/modified basic media data units, the system and method are responsive to at least one characteristics (such as quality, quality degradation, compression level and the like, a combination of at least two of the characteristics) of at least of some of the basic media data units.

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 system that includes: (ii) at least one input port adapted to receive multiple addressable packets that include media content that belong to multiple media streams and to at least one duplicating media stream; (ii) at least one processor adapted to process the multiple addressable packets to determine media stream layer errors to control, and to participate in a replacement of addressable packets that include media content that belong to a defective media stream by addressable packets that belong to a corresponding duplicate stream. A method for providing a video stream over a network, the method includes: (i) receiving a first multi purpose communication protocol stream that includes multiple media streams and receiving at least one duplicate media stream; (ii) detecting a error in a media stream program; and replacing the defective media stream by a duplicate media stream.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and a method for providing a multiplexed sequence, the multiplexed sequence including at least one sequence of basic media data units/modified basic media data units, the system and method are responsive to at least one characteristics (such as quality, quality degradation, compression level and the like, a combination of at least two of the characteristics) of at least of some of the basic media data units.

Abstract: Method for re-multiplexing a plurality of streams including the steps of: compressing each of the streams at a plurality of compression rates, generating a base layer and a plurality of supplemental layers for each of the streams and storing each in a level ordered queue array, retrieving data from the base layer queue and retrieving data from subsequent level queues, so as to fill out the available overall bandwidth.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for efficient multiplexing and modifying of media unit sequences. The invention allocates bit rates to media unit sequences and compresses media units in an optimal manner. The invention provides a method the includes calculating a sequence time threshold, for each received media unit sequence and executing modification and media unit replacements in view of the sequence time threshold.

Abstract: A system and method for allowing an end-user to interact with a system in order to execute an application. Multiple application packets are broadcast to a plurality of end-users, such that the upstream transmission of data from end-users is greatly reduced. Each end-ser further receives media packets, whereas visual objects relating to the application can be displayed on an end-user display unit with visual objects originating from the media packets.

Abstract: Broadband multimedia system including a communication bus, a router, connected to the communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters, a session manager, connected to communication bus, where the session manager provides routing instructions to the router, for directing data received from the media sources to the network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel method for determining a compression command list of a video signal. The video signal includes a plurality of original frames. The entire video signal is scanned thereby encoding each of the original frames into an Intra-decoded frame, so as to produce an Intra-decoded frame file. It will be noted that this encoding provides information with respect to each of the frames. Then, the Intra-decoded frame file is processed so as to produce an analysis of the activity and complexity of each of the Intra-decoded frames, using the information. Finally, a compression command list is generated. This compression command list determines how and to what extent each of said original is to be compressed, according to the above analysis.