Abstract: Method, transmitter and computer program product for transmitting data of a real-time communication event from the transmitter to a jitter buffer of a receiver. The method comprises jointly determining (i) at least one processing parameter describing how data is to be processed for transmission from the transmitter to the jitter buffer, and (ii) jitter buffer control information for indicating to the receiver how to control a state of the jitter buffer. The jitter buffer control information is transmitted to the receiver. Data is processed for transmission from the transmitter to the jitter buffer in accordance with the determined at least one processing parameter. The processed data is transmitted from the transmitter to the jitter buffer of the receiver.

Abstract: Methods, transmitter, receiver and computer program product for transmitting or receiving data of a real-time communication event, the data being transmitted from the transmitter to a jitter buffer of the receiver. At least one processing parameter describing how data is to be processed for transmission from the transmitter to the jitter buffer in the real-time communication event is determined at the transmitter. Data is processed for transmission from the transmitter to the jitter buffer in accordance with the determined at least one processing parameter. Control information based on the determined at least one processing parameter is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver, wherein the control information is for use by the receiver to control a state of the jitter buffer. The processed data is transmitted from the transmitter to the jitter buffer of the receiver in the real-time communication event.

Abstract: A method of compressing video data, the method comprising: providing image data for each of a plurality of image portions; determining an index value for each of said image portions based on the respective image data; for a target image portion to be encoded, identifying a matching image portion having an index value within a search threshold of the index value of the target image portion; and generating difference data for the target image portion relative to the matching image portion, and including the difference data in an encoded video signal.

Abstract: A method comprising: encoding a video image at each of a plurality of frames, including by using inter frame encoding to encode at least portions of some of the frames, thereby generating an encoded video stream; transmitting the encoded video stream over a lossy channel to be decoded at a receiver to produce decoded video; and performing a recovery operation to refresh the encoding of the video image, cutting off error propagation that has occurred in the decoded video due to an effect of inter prediction in presence of loss over said channel; wherein the recovery operation is triggered by a report fed back from the receiver indicative of loss; and wherein the recovery operation is performed over a plural number of frames, refreshing the encoding of different partial frame regions at different respective frames.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to controlling the operational mode of a radio in a wireless device, with an aim to reducing power consumption. A method of controlling the operational mode of a radio in a wireless device, includes executing at least one application, that provides access information for use by radio control logic to determine an operational mode of a radio, where the said access information defines usage of the radio by that application.

Abstract: Processing of a signal received at a node in a network is described in which effects on the signal caused by applying an action to a first part of the signal are quantified based on characteristics of the first part of the signal and effects on the signal caused by not applying the action to the first part of the signal are quantified based on characteristics of a second, subsequent part of the signal. The action may then be selectively applied either to the first part of the signal or to the second part of the signal based upon the quantifications. In some embodiments, the action is applied to a portion of the signal for which the effects on at least one measure of the signal quality are less detrimental.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improvements of predictive encoding/decoding operations performed on a signal which is transmitted over a packet switched network. The signal is encoded on a block by block basis in such way that a block A-B is predictive encoded independently of any preceding blocks. A start state 715 located somewhere between the end boundaries A and B of the block is encoded using any applicable coding method. Both block parts surrounding the start state is then predictive encoded based on the start state and in opposite directions with respect to each other, thereby resulting in a full encoded representation 745 of the block A-B. At the decoding end, corresponding decoding operations are performed.

Abstract: A method, system and program for routing a data stream amongst a plurality of network nodes including at least a plurality of end-user nodes. The method comprises: establishing a plurality of routes for the stream to a plurality of consuming end-user nodes, including at least one route via one or more relaying nodes; at each of a plurality of optimising nodes, executing an optimization algorithm to determine a respective routing modification by evaluating a routing criterion with respect to a collection of end-user nodes which share information with the respective optimising node and determining a change in the routing criterion that would result from one or more potential routing modifications. The different optimising nodes' collections of end-user nodes are at least partially coincident such that each optimising node can determine a different routing modification with respect to at least some of the same end-user nodes.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of controlling transmission of data from a wireless device to a receiver connected via a communication channel includes an application executing on the wireless device providing an estimate of end-to-end bandwidth of the communication channel; supplying to the application from wireless access circuitry in the wireless device at least on communication-related parameter and modifying in the application the estimate of end-to-end bandwidth using the at least one communication-related parameter.

Abstract: Method, transmitter and computer program product for transmitting data of a real-time communication event from the transmitter to a jitter buffer of a receiver. Jitter buffer state information is received at the transmitter from the receiver, the jitter buffer state information indicating a state of the jitter buffer. At least one processing parameter is controlled based on the received jitter buffer state information, the at least one processing parameter describing how data is to be processed for transmission from the transmitter to the jitter buffer in the real-time communication event. Data is processed for transmission from the transmitter to the jitter buffer in accordance with the determined at least one processing parameter. The processed data is transmitted from the transmitter to the jitter buffer of the receiver in the real-time communication event.

Abstract: A method comprising: for each target image portion to be encoded in a frame, selecting one of a set of encoding modes by optimizing a function comprising an estimate of distortion for the target image portion and a measure of bit rate required to encode the target image portion, encoding the target image portion into the encoded video stream using the selected mode. The encoded video stream is transmitted over a lossy channel. An error propagation distortion map is maintained, which comprises a plurality of error propagation distortion values mapping to respective frame partitions, the error propagation distortion values being based on previous encoding mode selections. The estimate of distortion used to select the encoding mode for each of the target image portions is based on a corresponding portion from the error propagation distortion map, and that corresponding portion is constrained to being co-located with the target image portion.

Abstract: An encoding system comprises: an input for receiving a video signal comprising a plurality of frames each comprising a plurality of higher resolution samples; and a projection generator configured, for each respective one of the frames, to generate multiple different projections of the respective frame. Each projection comprises a plurality of lower resolution samples representing the respective frame at a lower resolution, wherein the lower resolution samples of the different projections represent different but overlapping groups of the higher resolution samples of the respective frame. The encoding system comprises an encoder configured to encode the video signal by encoding the projections of each of the respective frames.

Abstract: A method of transmitting video data from a transmitter to a receiver, the method comprising: receiving data values of a video signal at a higher resolution; at the transmitter, combining groups of the data values into one or more first units of a first lower-resolution arrangement; encoding and transmitting the first lower-resolution arrangement to the receiver; at the transmitter, combining groups of the data values into one or more second units of a second lower-resolution arrangement, wherein the second units are offset from the first units by a fractional shift such that each second unit partially overlaps with at least one first unit; encoding and transmitting the second lower-resolution arrangement to the receiver; and transmitting an indication of said shift to the receiver; and at the receiver, combining the first and second lower-resolution arrangements based on the indication so as to reconstruct an image of at least a higher resolution than that of the first and second lower-resolution arrangements

Abstract: Correction data units for data packets of a data stream are generated. A correction data unit is based on a set of the data packets of the stream. The stream is transmitted over a lossy communication channel. A performance measure to be optimized is selected, which relates to the recovery of lost data packets of the stream. A coding requirement is determined. For the generation of the correction data units, it is determined, within the constraints of the coding requirement and based on previously generated correction data units, which of the data packets in the stream to include in the set on which the generation of the correction data unit is to be based to thereby optimize the selected performance measure. A generated correction data unit is generated based on a respective set of the data packets of the stream. The generated correction data units are included in the stream.

Abstract: A mobile terminal for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network. The mobile terminal comprises: one or more transceivers for connecting to the wireless access networks; and processing apparatus coupled to the one or more transceivers, operable to communicate with the first network by forming connections with the access networks using the one or more transceivers. The processing apparatus is configured to access a database recording motion information relating to motion of connection points of the wireless access networks; and the processing apparatus is further configured to determine one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network, in dependence on the motion information accessed from the database relating to one or more of the wireless access networks.

Abstract: A mobile terminal, program and method for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network. The mobile terminal is configured to maintain a log of user habits in terms of past availability or use of one or more of the access networks, e.g. relative to time of day, week, month and/or year. The mobile terminal is further configured to control activation the transceiver to scan for subsequent availability of one or more of the wireless access networks, in dependence on the comparison of the one or more identified times with the current time. The mobile terminal switches between a first mode in which the scanning is controlled in dependence on the current geographical location of the mobile terminal, and a second mode in which the scanning is controlled in dependence on said log.

Abstract: A mobile terminal comprising: a positioning module for determining a geographical location of the mobile terminal; one or more transceivers for connecting to wireless access networks; and processing apparatus for communicating with the first network using the one or more transceivers. The processing apparatus is configured to access a database recording geographical location information relating to a plurality of the wireless access networks, wherein the database also records pricing information relating to cost of connecting with at least some of the plurality of wireless access networks for communication with the first network. The processing apparatus is configured to determine one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network, from amongst the available ones of the wireless access networks, in dependence on the geographical location information and the pricing information accessed from the database.

Abstract: A mobile terminal comprising: a positioning module arranged to determine a geographical location of the mobile terminal; a local transceiver for connecting to local wireless access networks; and processing apparatus for communicating with a first, packet-based network by forming connections with the wireless local area networks using the local transceiver. The processing apparatus is configured to determine measures of connection quality experienced by the mobile terminal on ones of the connections, and to record the determined measures in a database associating measures of connection quality with geographical locations.

Abstract: A method for processing encoded data bits transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver over a lossy communication channel, the method comprising: receiving the encoded data bits over the communication channel, the encoded data bits including redundant data units; decoding the encoded data bits at an error correction decoder, wherein the recovery of lost data is implemented at the error correction decoder using at least one of the redundant data units; determining if at least one data bit is unable to be recovered due to the decoder finding a plurality of candidate bit values for the at least one data bit; receiving information relating to the transmitter; analyzing the plurality of candidate bit values to exclude at least one of the candidate bit values for the at least one data bit using information relating to the transmitter; and resolving the at least one data bit based on the analysis.

Abstract: Method, user terminal and computer program product for processing data relating to a communication event at a communication client, the communication event occurring over a communication system. An input of the communication event is received at the communication client from a user of the communication system. The input is analyzed to determine attributes of the input. At least one other user of the communication system who is likely to be a participant of the communication event is determined based on the occurrence of attributes, corresponding to the determined attributes of the input, in previous communication events over the communication system involving at least one of the at least one other user. The communication client indicates, to the user, the determined at least one other user as being a likely participant for the communication event.