Abstract: An apparatus can include a system processor control and a system controller. The system processor can determine a subscriber content price for multimedia content based on a lead-time of electronic delivery of the multimedia content to a customer premises equipment via at least one transport provider servicing the customer premises equipment. The system controller can transmit the subscriber content price to the customer premises equipment and schedule electronic delivery of the multimedia content within the lead-time and in response to a subscriber request to deliver the multimedia content to the customer premises equipment.

Abstract: A process of acquiring, transmitting and reconstructing data signals is disclosed. The process includes monitoring a timing reference signal produced by a timing reference and receiving an input data signals on input/output modules. The input data signals are sampled using one of an external sample clock and an internal sample clock. The process further includes recording an input rate, based on a number of samples received during an interval, a duration count, based on the number of cycles of the timing reference signal received between the first sample and the last sample in the sample interval, and a delay count, based on a number of cycles of the timing reference signal received between a start of the interval and a first sample clock cycle of the one of the external sample clock or the internal sample clock. Data packets are created, based on sampled input data and the measured input rate, the delay count for each interval.

Abstract: A process of acquiring, transmitting and reconstructing data signals is disclosed. The process includes monitoring a timing reference signal produced by a timing reference and receiving an input data signals on input/output modules. The input data signals are sampled using one of an external sample clock and an internal sample clock. The process further includes recording an input rate, based on a number of samples received during an interval, a duration count, based on the number of cycles of the timing reference signal received between the first sample and the last sample in the sample interval, and a delay count, based on a number of cycles of the timing reference signal received between a start of the interval and a first sample clock cycle of the one of the external sample clock or the internal sample clock. Data packets are created, based on sampled input data and the measured input rate, the delay count for each interval.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to manage communications in networks having wired and wireless portions. By determining the optimum segment size for a wireless link based on various status conditions such as bit-error rates, data throughput across the wireless link can be improved. Accordingly, data received from a wired network can be repackaged using the desired segment size before being transmitted over the wireless link. Similarly, optimum-sized segments can be received from the wireless link and the data in the received segments can be passed to the wired network.

Abstract: The present invention provides a first gateway that can receive, buffer and acknowledge a number of files from a data terminal. The gateway can then transmit one or more first segments derived from the received files to a wireless device over a first wireless link. In the event that the first wireless link is broken, any data not received by the wireless device by the first gateway can be provided to a second gateway. The second gateway, in turn, can provide the remaining data to the wireless device using one or more second segments without requiring that the second gateway contact the data terminal.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to manage communications in networks having wired and wireless portions. By determining the optimum segment size for a wireless link based on various status conditions such as bit-error rates, data throughput across the wireless link can be improved. Accordingly, data received from a wired network can be repackaged using the desired segment size before being transmitted over the wireless link. Similarly, optimum-sized segments can be received from the wireless link and the data in the received segments can be passed to the wired network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for sorting needle blanks. Generally, the apparatus includes a needle transferring assembly which receives needle blanks at a needle loading position and sequentially transfers the needle blanks to a needle identifying position and to a needle sorting position. An imaging assembly has a focus aligned with the needle identifying position so as to identify whether an end face of the needle blank has a solid or hollow cross-section. A needle blank sorting assembly is provided to operate when the needle blanks are transferred to the needle sorting position. The needle blank sorting assembly responds to the imaging assembly so as to sort the needle blanks with the hollow cross-section from the needle blanks with the solid cross-section.