Abstract: In one embodiment, a mobile communications system has a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes communicating wirelessly with a plurality of wireless user devices, a video server transmitting one or more packetized video streams to one or more of the wireless user devices, and a packet core routing packets of video data from the video server to the one or more wireless user devices via the RAN nodes. For each packetized video stream, the video server transmits in-band information related to the packetized video stream, such as relative screen size, relative video activity level, and minimum and maximum video quality levels, and each RAN node extracts and uses the in-band information to schedule transmission of the packets of video data to its one or more corresponding wireless user devices. The system can provide higher-quality video experience without wasting bandwidth on user devices that don't require much communication resources.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a mobile communications system has a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes communicating wirelessly with a plurality of wireless user devices, a video server transmitting one or more packetized video streams to one or more of the wireless user devices, and a packet core routing packets of video data from the video server to the one or more wireless user devices via the RAN nodes. For each packetized video stream, the video server transmits in-band information related to the packetized video stream, such as relative screen size, relative video activity level, and minimum and maximum video quality levels, and each RAN node extracts and uses the in-band information to schedule transmission of the packets of video data to its one or more corresponding wireless user devices. The system can provide higher-quality video experience without wasting bandwidth on user devices that don't require much communication resources.

Abstract: A client device is configured to: receive a list of multicast channels from a multicast controller, the list of multicast channels identifying multicast channels to be multicast to a plurality of clients in the access network; receive an updated list of multicast channels from the multicast controller; identify differences between the list of multicast channels and the updated list of multicast channels; and inform the termination node of differences between the list of multicast channels and the updated list of multicast channels.

Abstract: A network element comprises a memory storing a data structure arrangement. The data structure arrangement includes: an ordered list of asset blocks having a head end and a tail end, each of the asset blocks indicating a number of clients in an access network currently streaming video content of a corresponding channel, the asset blocks being ordered according to the number of clients currently streaming the video content for each channel; and a border structure block storing a pointer to a border asset block within the ordered list of asset blocks, the pointer to the border asset block defining an active set of multicast channels for the access network, and causing the multicast controller to direct a termination node to provide the active set of multicast channels to the clients in the access network.

Abstract: A method of operating a first cache device may include receiving, at the first cache device, a request to send a first asset to a second device; determining whether the first asset is stored at the first cache device; and when the determining determines that the first asset is not stored at the first cache device, obtaining, at the first cache device, the first asset, comparing, at the first cache device, a moving average of a marginal value of the first asset with respect to the first cache device and a characteristic marginal value of the first cache device, calculating a cost associated with the first asset, selectively storing the first asset at the first cache device based on the comparison, and sending the obtained first asset and the calculated cost to the second device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for effectively priming a non-electrically conductive filter for removal of solid inclusions from liquid metal. In one embodiment, the ceramic filter media is surrounded by a low frequency induction coil (1-60 Hz) with its axis aligned in the direction of the net metal flow. The coil is positioned to enhance the heating of any metal frozen onto, or in the pores of, the filter element. In one embodiment, the coil is positioned in order to generate Lorentz forces, which act to cause heated metal to impinge on the upper surface of the filter element, enhancing the priming action. Once a filter equipped with such a coil has been primed, it can be kept hot or reheated, and subsequently reused during several batch tapping sequences.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for pre-fetching assets from content providers to user equipment (UE). In one embodiment, the UE initiates a pre-fetch operation to download assets from content providers in advance of an end user requesting the assets. The UE accesses a resource profile for the pre-fetch operation that indicates the content providers that have assets for the UE to download in advance for local storage on the UE, and defines a percentage of UE resources allocated to each of the content providers for downloading the assets during the pre-fetch operation. The UE may then download the assets from the content providers based on the resource profile, and store the assets in a local memory.

Abstract: A method of operating a first cache device may include receiving, at the first cache device, a request to send a first asset to a second device; determining whether the first asset is stored at the first cache device; and when the determining determines that the first asset is not stored at the first cache device, obtaining, at the first cache device, the first asset, comparing, at the first cache device, a moving average of a marginal value of the first asset with respect to the first cache device and a characteristic marginal value of the first cache device, calculating a cost associated with the first asset, selectively storing the first asset at the first cache device based on the comparison, and sending the obtained first asset and the calculated cost to the second device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, apparatus and method for address management in a distributed mobile core network. The apparatus includes a user equipment for managing multiple addresses for connecting at least one application client of the user equipment to a respective application server via at least one network. The user equipment includes a mobile address unit configured to manage a principal address, a local macro network (LMN) address, and a local area network (LAN) address. The principal address is used for data transmissions of a first type, the LMN address is used for data transmissions of a second type, and the LAN address is used for data transmission of a third type.

Abstract: A method include receiving, at a first cache device, a request to send a first asset to a second device; determining whether the first asset is stored at the first cache device; when the determining whether the first asset is stored at the first cache device indicates that first asset is not stored at the first cache device, obtaining, at the first cache device, the first asset, performing a comparison operation based on an average inter-arrival time of the first asset with respect to the first cache device and a characteristic time of the first cache device, the characteristic time of the first cache device being an average period of time assets cached at the first cache device are cached before being evicted from the first cache device, and determining whether or not to cache the obtained first asset at the first cache device based on the comparison; and sending the obtained first asset to the second device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for effectively priming a non-electrically conductive filter for removal of solid inclusions from liquid metal. In one embodiment, the ceramic filter media is surrounded by a low frequency induction coil (1-60 Hz) with its axis aligned in the direction of the net metal flow. The coil is positioned to enhance the heating of any metal frozen onto, or in the pores of the filter element. In one embodiment, the coil is positioned in order to generate Lorentz forces, which act to cause heated metal to impinge on the upper surface of the filter element, enhancing the priming action. Once a filter equipped with such a coil has been primed, it can be kept hot or reheated, and subsequently reused during several batch tapping sequences.

Abstract: A method of sending hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) adaptive streaming (HAS) content from a content source to a client over a transmission control protocol (TCP) connection between the content source and the client may include receiving a request for one or more first HAS data chunks from the client; sending the one or more first HAS data chunks to the client; generating idle delay values indicating an amount of delay in the TCP connection during an idle time period, the idle time period being a time period over which no HAS data chunks are being sent from the content source to the client; receiving a request for a second HAS data chunk from the client; setting the size of a starting TCP congestion window based on the idle delay values; and sending the second HAS chunk to the client using the starting TCP congestion window.

Abstract: A capability for controlling a size of a congestion window of an information transmission connection (ITC) is provided. The size of the congestion window of the ITC may be controlled based on a threshold, which may be based on an ideal bandwidth-delay product (IBDP) value. The IBDP value may be based on a product of an information transmission rate measure and a time measure. The information transmission rate measure may be based on a target information transmission rate for the ITC. The time measure may be based on a round-trip time measured between a sender of the ITC and a receiver of the ITC. The threshold may be a cap threshold where the size of the congestion window is prevented from exceeding the cap threshold. The threshold may be a reset threshold which may be used to control a reduction of the size of the congestion window.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for pre-fetching assets from content providers to user equipment (UE). In one embodiment, the UE initiates a pre-fetch operation to download assets from content providers in advance of an end user requesting the assets. The UE accesses a resource profile for the pre-fetch operation that indicates the content providers that have assets for the UE to download in advance for local storage on the UE, and defines a percentage of UE resources allocated to each of the content providers for downloading the assets during the pre-fetch operation. The UE may then download the assets from the content providers based on the resource profile, and store the assets in a local memory.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for adjusting resource profiles which are used by user equipment (UE) to pre-fetch assets from content providers. In one embodiment, a recommender system receives a resource profile from a UE. The resource profile indicates content providers that have assets for the UE to download in advance during a pre-fetch operation. The resource profile also defines a percentage of UE resources allocated to each of the content providers for downloading the assets during the pre-fetch operation. The recommender system then adjusts the percentages of the UE resources in the resource profile for the end user to generate an updated resource profile for the end user, and transmits the updated resource profile to the UE for use in one or more subsequent pre-fetch operations.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for pre-fetching assets from content providers to user equipment (UE). In one embodiment, the UE initiates a pre-fetch operation to download assets from content providers in advance of an end user requesting the assets. The UE accesses a resource profile for the pre-fetch operation that indicates the content providers that have assets for the UE to download in advance for local storage on the UE, and defines a percentage of UE resources allocated to each of the content providers for downloading the assets during the pre-fetch operation. The UE may then download the assets from the content providers based on the resource profile, and store the assets in a local memory.

Abstract: Methods and related systems for providing fairness and stability to video streams are presented that involve the adjustment of committed information rates and priority levels associated with video streams.

Abstract: A method of sending hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) adaptive streaming (HAS) content from a content source to a client over a transmission control protocol (TCP) connection between the content source and the client may include receiving a request for one or more first HAS data chunks from the client; sending the one or more first HAS data chunks to the client; generating idle delay values indicating an amount of delay in the TCP connection during an idle time period, the idle time period being a time period over which no HAS data chunks are being sent from the content source to the client; receiving a request for a second HAS data chunk from the client; setting the size of a starting TCP congestion window based on the idle delay values; and sending the second HAS chunk to the client using the starting TCP congestion window.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, apparatus and method for address management in a distributed mobile core network. The apparatus includes a user equipment for managing multiple addresses for connecting at least one application client of the user equipment to a respective application server via at least one network. The user equipment includes a mobile address unit configured to manage a principal address, a local macro network (LMN) address, and a local area network (LAN) address. The principal address is used for data transmissions of a first type, the LMN address is used for data transmissions of a second type, and the LAN address is used for data transmission of a third type.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for adjusting resource profiles which are used by user equipment (UE) to pre-fetch assets from content providers. In one embodiment, a recommender system receives a resource profile from a UE. The resource profile indicates content providers that have assets for the UE to download in advance during a pre-fetch operation. The resource profile also defines a percentage of UE resources allocated to each of the content providers for downloading the assets during the pre-fetch operation. The recommender system then adjusts the percentages of the UE resources in the resource profile for the end user to generate an updated resource profile for the end user, and transmits the updated resource profile to the UE for use in one or more subsequent pre-fetch operations.