Abstract: The invention discloses a method for reception of an audio-visual program transmitted via portions over a network, the method using a real-time transport protocol and a real-time control protocol between a server and a receiver, the audio-visual program being available on the server in a plurality of versions corresponding to the program coded in different resolutions and enabling its transmission at different bitrates according to requests of the receiver. The method comprising a regular measurement of the bandwidth of the network by the receiver in order to adjust the transmission bitrate according to the state of the network.

Abstract: Network management infrastructure operable to be connected to at least one remote home network comprising at least one terminal (T21, T22) connected to a gateway (BRG2), wherein said infrastructure comprises a processor configured to connect a physical network interface (PNIB) of the infrastructure to the home network.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system, server and client for multiplexed streaming of multimedia content comprising at least one server being capable of transmitting multimedia content in a streaming environment through one or more data paths to a client, wherein the multimedia content is de-multiplexed by the server into a plurality of sub-streams with each sub-stream comprising a unique mark such that the client is capable of multiplexing said sub-streaming into a continuous stream. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for multiplexed streaming of multimedia content.

Abstract: Network equipment for processing a request from a terminal configured to be connected to a network to which the network equipment can be connected is described. The network equipment includes a receiver configured to receive, from the terminal, a message part of the processing request, a relay agent configured to provide a network identification information into the received message, and a load balancer configured to forward the received message to one of a plurality of processing units of the network equipment, depending on workload information associated with the processing units. The processing units are further configured to retrieve, based on the network identification information extracted from the received message, context information from a database unit shared between the processing units and to process the received message according to a state of the processing request, the processing request state being retrieved from the context information.

Abstract: Method of transmission of data between a server and a client, said transmission using a multihoming protocol, as SCTP, over a network comprising at least one principal link and one secondary link connecting the server and the client, said method comprising the steps of: a) set-up of a connection between the server and the client; b) allocation of a bandwidth over the principal link to the transmission of data from the server to the client; c) transmission of data from the server to the client over the principal link as long as said allocated bandwidth is not fully used; and d) if the allocated bandwidth has been fully used, transmission of data from the server to the client over the secondary link.

Abstract: A method for evaluating an available bitrate over a path among one of at least two paths linking a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the path being called an evaluation path, is disclosed. The first endpoint is configured for sending data packets to the second endpoint, the second endpoint is configured for sending at each data packet reception an acknowledgment message to the first endpoint through one of the at least two path selected at each data packet reception.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for estimating a distance from a first communication device to a second communication device. According to an aspect of the invention, the method comprises: Taking a picture of the second communication device by the first communication device; Obtaining a description of the second communication device; Identifying the second communication device in the picture, by using said description; Estimating a distance from the first communication device to the second communication device by using the description of the second communication device and dimensions of the second communication device identified in the picture.

Abstract: A device of a network configured for implementing a method for distributing available bandwidth of the network amongst ongoing traffic sessions of devices of the network is described. The device includes a communication module, a ranking module, a calculator and a comparator. The communication module collects status messages from devices of the network running at least one traffic session. The ranking module is configured to rank the ongoing traffic sessions according to parameters of devices and traffic sessions retrieved from status messages. The calculator is configured to determine bandwidth to be allocated to each ranked traffic session in function of the available bandwidth, a rank of the ranked traffic sessions and a type of the ranked traffic sessions. The comparator checks whether the determined bandwidth to be allocated to a traffic session of the device is different from zero such that available bandwidth can be distributed amongst ongoing traffic sessions.

Abstract: A method for downloading multimedia contents is disclosed. The multimedia contents exists in at least two versions. Each of the versions corresponds to a different required transmission bit rate and each of the versions is temporally divided into chunks corresponding to a determined duration, one chunk being identified by an item of information representative of a temporal position i and by an item of information representative of a version j. A content receiver implementing this method is also described.

Abstract: This invention relates to a client device capable of receiving a multicast content through multiple communication networks, comprising at least one broadband network having a broadband bandwidth and one broadcast network for connection respectively to at least one broadband interface and one receive-only broadcast interface of the client device, wherein said client device comprises an adapter selector capable of selecting the interface to be used in order to save the broadband band-width.

Abstract: A method for controlling a packet transfer through a multipath session is disclosed. The method comprises a number of n paths linking a first endpoint to a second endpoint, n being an integer greater or equal to 2, i being an integer and 1?i?n; each path Pi being defined by a couple of addresses of a communication interface of the first and second endpoint; the first endpoint being configured for sending the packet to the second endpoint through anyone of the paths; the second endpoint being configured for sending an acknowledgment message through anyone of the paths when the second endpoint received a packet.

Abstract: Network equipment (GW) configured to be arranged along a transmission path between a client terminal and at least one server, said network equipment being configured to receive a request from the client terminal for a first representation of a segment of a multimedia content available at several representations, said request further specifying one or several alternative representations of said segment, which comprises: a bandwidth estimator (14) configured to determine at least one downstream bandwidth along a transmission path between a server and the client terminal, a filtering module (16) configured to modify said request by removing each alternative representation of the request whose associated bitrate is higher than the determined downstream bandwidth, and a communication module (11) configured to forward the modified request to an upstream network element arranged between the network equipment (GW) and the server.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for adapting the downloading behavior of a client terminal configured to receive a multimedia content from at least one server, said multimedia content being defined by at least one representation, wherein it comprises the steps of: requesting (S0) a first part of said multimedia content with a given representation; detecting (S1) if a cache between is located along the transmission path the client terminal and a server, based on the request of said first part; in case (S3) a cache is detected, requesting a second part of said multimedia content with a representation depending on at least one performance criterion.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method to control the transmission and transmission data rate between at least two servers and a receiver. The servers being adapted to transmit data representative of an audiovisual content. The audiovisual content being available from each of said at least two servers in at least two versions. The versions corresponding respectively to different transmission bit-rates. The servers being adapted to transmit audiovisual contents in successive parts, each of said successive parts being chosen as one of at least two versions in response to transmission requests sent by the receivers, said transmission requests comprising a transmission parameter.

Abstract: A device is intended to obtain content by means of at least two transport protocols having different requirements in terms of available network bandwidth. Such content is available in different versions on at least a content server and the versions correspond to different transmission binary bit rates and are subdivided into chunks adapted to be transmitted via a communication network. This device is arranged to request to said at least one server a transmission of at least one chunk according to a version of a content and according to a transport protocol, the transport protocol and the version being selectable in response to a current value of the available bandwidth of said communication network.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for adapting the behavior of a first type cache located along the transmission path between a client terminal and a server, such a client terminal being able to receive from the server content parts of a multimedia content, characterized in that it comprises: upon an initial request (S0), by a first client terminal, for a content part not stored in the first type cache, storing (S2) said content part in said cache and recording (S3) at least one characteristic of the reception, from said server, of said content part by the cache, upon transmission to the first client terminal, the response of the server to the initial request (S0) comprising further information preventing a second type cache, arranged between the first client terminal and the server, from storing said content part; upon a subsequent request (S4), by a second client terminal, for the same content part as the one stored in said first type cache, controlling (S5) the data sending rate, based on the recorded charac

Abstract: Method for providing a content part of a multimedia content to a client terminal, corresponding cache. According to the invention, the method for providing a content part of a multimedia content to a client terminal, one or more caches being arranged along the transmission path between the client terminal and a remote server, several representations of said content part being available, comprises: receiving (S0) at a first cache (R), from the client terminal, a request for a given representation of said content part belonging to a set of allowable representations selected among said available representations of the content part, said request further comprising a list of alternative representations of the set and auxiliary information for specifying the scope of the request; checking (S1) at said first cache (R) if said given representation is stored in the cache; in case said given representation is not cached, browsing (S2) at said first cache (R) alternative representations listed.

Abstract: Method for multicast transmission between a server and at least one of a plurality of clients using a unicast protocol, said method comprising a step of providing by the server to the client information permitting to said client to communicate with the server over a multicast path, in order to enable a joint operation of multicast and unicast paths between the server and the client.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system for adaptive streaming in a multipath environment comprising a plurality of servers being respectively capable of transmitting multimedia content in a RTP/RTSP environment through a respective data path to a client, wherein the client includes a controller means being capable of probing each of said data paths in order to determine a respective bandwidth associated to each of said data paths and to request a chunk of said multimedia content for each of said servers according to the respective bandwidth. In addition, the invention relates to a method for adaptive streaming in a multipath environment.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for adapting the behavior of a cache located along the transmission path between a client terminal and a server, such a client terminal being able to receive from the server content parts of a multimedia content, comprising: upon request, by a first client terminal, for a content part not stored in the cache, storing said content part in said cache and recording at least one characteristic of the reception of said content part by the cache, upon transmission to the first client terminal; upon subsequent request, by a second client terminal, for the same content part as the one stored in said cache, controlling the data sending rate, based on the recorded characteristic, while delivering the stored content part from said cache to the second client terminal.