Abstract: A method and apparatus for ensuring a correct satellite signal connection. Specifically, a user selects a satellite signal via an integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) from at least one satellite, and the IRD sends a command signal to a selector switch to acquire and lock onto said satellite signal. The IRD repeats transmission of the command signal to the selector switch once the IRD has acquired and locked onto said information signal. Thus, in the event that the selector switch failed to switch to a low noise block converter (LNB) corresponding to the initial command signal, then the repeated command signal helps to ensure that the selector switch switches to the LNB corresponding with the latest command signal sent by the IRD.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for delivering ancillary information related to a resource request, such as advertisements, to a resource requester via a gateway device. The invention describes the components of the gateway device receiving a request from a resource requester and the gateway device referencing the request for ancillary information, either internally or externally via a database. Additional elements to the invention include the gateway device receiving information representing the requested resource, from a resource provider, and ancillary information related to the resource, and the transmission by the gateway device of ancillary information and the resource to the resource requester.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method (200) and system (100) for performing a trick mode on a video signal containing a plurality of original pictures. The invention includes the steps of, in response to a trick mode command, selectively repeating (216) at least one of the original pictures to convert the video signal to a trick mode video signal having the original pictures and at least one repeated original picture and selectively displaying (218) at least a portion of the original picture and at least a portion of the repeated original pictures in accordance with a predetermined sequence to avoid a vibration artifact. Each original picture and each repeated original picture can contain at least two fields.

Abstract: A server apparatus receives packetized data and transmits the packetized data over a network. The apparatus includes an input for receiving the packetized data from a signal source. An AC clock counter receives an AC power signal and generates a count value in dependence upon a frequency of the AC power signal. An output is coupled to the network and transmits the packetized data and the count value to a client device. A clock associated with the client device is controlled in dependence upon the count value.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus using a system level clocking scheme to remove jitter from multi-media packets distributed over an asynchronous network, in particular an asynchronous network. The present invention overcomes the problems associated with jitter introduced in an asynchronous network by using various time stamps to synchronize a client device clock to a headend clock and to control the data flow in the client device to match the rate that the data is received by a broadband receiver coupled to the headend. A first time stamp is prepended to the transport packets when the packets are received from the headend. A second time stamp is placed in the data frame when the data frame is placed on the network. A third time stamp is placed in the data frame when the data frame is received from the network. The second and third time stamps are used for synchronizing the client clock to the server clock, which is in turn frequency locked to the headend clock.

Abstract: An intended recipient of an instant message receives notification of that message via a caller identification message displayed on a device (26, 28, 32) capable of displaying caller identification messages. Upon receipt of an instant message, a broadband modem (16) generates a caller identification message that is then routed by a router (22) to the caller identification display device(s).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus using a system level clocking scheme to remove jitter from multi-media packets distributed over an asynchronous network. The present invention overcomes the problems associated with jitter introduced in an asynchronous network by using various time stamps to synchronized a client device clock to a headend clock and to control the data flow in the client device to match the rate that the data is received by a broadband receiver coupled to the headend. The present invention allows the client device to synchronize to a selected one of a plurality of headend clock by including a clock adjustment factor along with the time stamps. The time stamps are added at the physical layer so that the time stamps correspond to the time the data packets are placed onto and received from the asynchronous network.

Abstract: A method, device, and computer readable medium for adaptively configuring a router monitors data packets propagating in a network to detect a statically configured network device. A network interface within the router is adapted to network parameters associated with the statically configured network device to operatively couple the statically configured network device to the router.

Abstract: A method, device, and computer readable medium for adaptively configuring a router in a communication system having a plurality of network devices. Data packets passing through the router are examined in order to determine network parameters associated with the plurality of network devices. A plurality of network interfaces in the router are then adapted to the network parameters so that the router is operatively coupled to the plurality of network devices.