Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing a trace of mailing list expansion performed on an electronic message delivered to an electronic mailing list. The method comprises receiving an electronic message addressed to an electronic mailing list having a set of recipients; inserting an informational header line in a message header of the electronic message that is indicative of the electronic mailing list; and relaying the message for delivery to the set of recipients on the electronic mailing list.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing a trace of mailing list expansion performed on an electronic message delivered to an electronic mailing list. The method comprises receiving an electronic message addressed to an electronic mailing list having a set of recipients; inserting an informational header line in a message header of the electronic message that is indicative of the electronic mailing list; and relaying the message for delivery to the set of recipients on the electronic mailing list.

Abstract: A method for seamlessly splicing a local commercial segment into an existing network time slot, without decoder buffer overflow or underflow. The vbv_delay of the commercial segment is manipulated (e.g., for a minimum delay or a maximum delay). The pictures from the commercial segment are output for at least a portion of the associated network time slot duration. A determination is made regarding the number of pictures remaining in a stored portion of the incoming network feed or the commercial segment and the output rate is adjusted as required. The vbv_delay of the stored network feed or the vbv_delay of the local commercial segment is adjusted to match the vbv_delay of the incoming network feed.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a transport packet stream having an output formatted as an ASI group having a plurality of short and long ASI packets in a fixed sequence. The short and long ASI packet each have an associated transport packet and a fixed number of special idle characters and the transport packets are dispersed among the special idle characters.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a transport packet stream having an output formatted as an ASI group having a plurality of short and long ASI packets in a fixed sequence. The short and long ASI packet each have an associated transport packet and a fixed number of special idle characters and the transport packets are dispersed among the special idle characters.

Abstract: A method for seamlessly splicing a local commercial segment into an existing network time slot, without decoder buffer overflow or underflow. The vbv_delay of the commercial segment is manipulated (e.g., for a minimum delay or a maximum delay). The pictures from the commercial segment are output for at least a portion of the associated network time slot duration. A determination is made regarding the number of pictures remaining in a stored portion of the incoming network feed or the commercial segment and the output rate is adjusted as required. The vbv_delay of the stored network feed or the vbv_delay of the local commercial segment is adjusted to match the vbv_delay of the incoming network feed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for splicing transport streams from multiple sources without violating the clock slew rates specified for a receiver. The method employs a digital phase lock loop (PLL) to lock both the transport output clock of the digital studio and the transmission symbol clock to a stable reference clock of 27 MHz.

Abstract: A transport stream encoder is disclosed which comprises a plurality of FIFO buffers coupled to sources of component signals. Each of the FIFO buffers has a data output terminal for producing component signal data. A packetizer has a data input terminal for receiving component signal data, and produces a packet stream. A data bus is coupled in common to the data output terminals of the FIFO buffers and the data input terminal of the packetizer.

Abstract: A digital information receiver having a single oscillator providing a clock signal to the receiver circuitry. The receiver contains, in addition to the oscillator, an input signal processor, a symbol timing loop, a demodulator, a transport decoder, a transport timing loop, one or more applications decoders and a presentation device. The input signal processor digitizes an input signal and resamples the input signal using an interpolator such that the input signal is optimally sampled. The resampling is controlled by a symbol timing loop. In a first embodiment, the transport timing loop controls the frequency of the oscillator using transmitter timing information contained in the received signal. In a second embodiment, the oscillator is a free running oscillator and the transport timing loop controls a numerically controlled counter that, in turn, controls presentation timing of the information carried by the information in the input signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for operating a transport stream encoder to produce a stream of packets carrying data representing a plurality of component signals which comprises the following steps. The packet stream is partitioned into successive groups, each group containing a predetermined number of packet slots. A plurality of priority lists is maintained, one for each of the packet slots in the group. Each priority list contains a plurality of entries, and each entry identifies one of the component signals. When a packet slot is to be produced, the entries in the priority list corresponding to that packet slot are traversed, one at a time. For each of those entries it is determined whether the component signal identified by that entry can produce a packet. If it can, a packet containing data representing that component signal is produced. Only if none of the component signals identified by the entries in the priority list can produce a packet is a null packet produced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the value of a sample having a particular position in an ordered ranking, by magnitude, of a set of digital samples includes means for truncating the lesser significant bits of the samples. Further means compares the values of the truncated samples and generates selection control signals indicating the truncated sample which is in the desired position of an ordered ranking of the truncated samples. A function generator then generates a function of the samples, corresponding to the selected truncated samples.

Abstract: An adaptive median filter system is disclosed. Circuitry is arranged to produce successive sets of samples from an input signal which may possibly include noise. An adaptive median filter filters the samples in response to a control signal. Further circuitry estimates the relative density of the noise in the input signal to generate the control signal supplied to the adaptive median filter.