Abstract: A method and apparatus for customize messaging within a cable system includes processing that begins by obtaining a user profile of a user of the cable system. The processing continues by obtaining audience specific messages that includes a desired user profile. The desired user profile indicates targeted user profiles. The processing then continues by comparing the user profile of the user with the desired user profile for an audience specific message. When the user profile sufficiently matches the desired user profile of the message, the audience specific message is added to a list of custom messages for the user.

Abstract: A wire containment cap for reducing horizontal strain on a cable terminated at a communication jack. The wire containment cap is part of the communication jack and includes a strain relief clip that may be actuated to apply pressure to the cable. The applied pressure holds the cable in place and helps prevent wire pairs of the cable from pulling out of terminals in the communication jack.

Abstract: A system on a chip (SOC) device is disclosed comprising external outputs, and external inputs. A first secure storage location is operably decoupled from all of the external outputs of the SOC device during a normal mode of operation. By being decoupled from all external outputs, representations of the data stored at the first secure device are prevented from being provided to the external outputs. The decryption engine is also included on the system on a chip, comprising a first data input, and a private key input coupled to a first portion of the first secure storage location, and an output coupled to a second secure location. The decryption engine is operable to determine decrypted data from data received at the first data input based upon a private key received at the private key input. The decryption engine is further operable to write the decrypted data only to the first secure memory location and the second secure location.

Abstract: A key protected data stream and an encryption key are received at a gateway device. The gateway devices unprotects the data stream based upon the encryption key. The unprotected received data is modified by the gateway to generate a modified data. The modified data is protected based upon the encryption key to generate a key protected modified data. The gateway then transmits the key protected modified data to one or more clients along with the encryption key.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling access to a video system based on bandwidth consumption include processing that begins as the server monitors bandwidth utilization of connections within the video system. The processing continues when the server receives a request to access a video program via the connection from a client device of the video system. The processing then continues as the server determines whether the bandwidth utilization exceeds a bandwidth threshold. If the bandwidth utilization exceeds the bandwidth threshold, the server provides an indication of viewing-cost options regarding access to the video program to the client device. The processing then continues as the client selects one of the viewing-cost options and provides the selected option to the server. The processing then continues as the server processes the request to access the video program based on the client response.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing overlay data in a multimedia system include processing that begins when the server of the multimedia system selects a set of channels from a plurality of channels based on a set of channel select signals. The processing continues as the server converts the set of channels into streams of channel data. The server then decodes the streams of channel data into video frames for each channel of the set of channels. The processing continues as the server generates overlay data for at least one channel based on an overlay selection input, which is provided by the client that requested the particular channel. The processing then continues as the server encodes the overlay data with video frames of at least one channel to produce channel overlay packets. The processing continues as the server encodes the video frames of the other channels into sets of channels to produce channel packets.

Abstract: A method for upgrading a computer operating system of a computer system, for example, a communications receiver includes a main processor, a slave processor, a first memory, and a second memory, wherein an existing operating system resides in the first memory. The first memory is attached to the main processor and the second memory is attached to the slave processor. The method comprises the steps of receiving a new operating system in the second memory; erasing the existing operating system from the first memory; and loading the new operating system into the first memory. In a communications receiver such as a satellite business receiver for receiving and decoding video, audio and data bitstreams, the first memory may be FLASH memory and the second memory may be cache memory of a video processor, and, more particularly, a video random access memory.

Abstract: In an ellipsometer, a phase-modulated, polarized light beam is applied to a sample, electrical signals are obtained representing the orthogonal planes of polarization of the light after it has interacted with the sample and the constants of the sample are calculated from the two resulting electrical signals. The phase modulation is sufficiently small so that the calibration errors are negligible. For this purpose, the phase modulator, phase modulates the light within a range of no more than ten degrees peak to peak. The two electrical signals are expanded by Fourier analysis and the coefficients thereof utilized to calculate psi and delta.