Abstract: A network function virtualization security and trust system includes a network device that operates as a virtualized network device with virtualized services provided on the network device by network nodes included in the system. Security and trust within the system can include hardware authentication of the network nodes and the network device to obtain a level of security of the hardware provisioning the operation of the virtualized services. Security and trust can also include authentication of the services being used on the virtualized network device. Services authentication can be based on monitoring and analysis of the cooperative operation of the services in the virtualized network device. The virtualized services can be dynamically changed, added or stopped. Hardware authentication and dynamic services authentication in accordance with changes in the virtualized services can dynamically maintain a level of security across the devices and the virtualized services.

Abstract: A distributed adaptive bit rate (ABR) proxy system may include a gateway device that includes a first transcoder and is configured to receive segments of a content item from an ABR server, and a secondary device that includes a second transcoder and is configured to receive the segments of the content item from the gateway device. The first transcoder may transcode the segments based at least in part on a first ABR profile to generate first transcoded segments, and the second transcoder may transcode the segments based at least in part on a second ABR profile to generate second transcoded segments. The gateway device may advertise the first and second ABR profiles to user devices and may transmit the first transcoded segments to the user devices in response to requests therefor. The secondary device may transmit the second transcoded segments to the user devices in response to requests therefor.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for preparing an electrolyte and an electrolyte replenishment system during an electrolytic process. The method includes the following steps: Step A: placing aluminum in a reactor, vacuumizing the reactor and feeding an inert gas, heating the reactor to 700-850 degrees centigrade, and adding one or more of potassium fluozirconate, potassium fluoborate, sodium hexafluorozirconate and sodium fluoroborate; and Step B: stirring the reactants for 4-6 hours and extracting the upper molten liquid to obtain an electrolyte replenishment system during an aluminum electrolysis process. The disclosure has the following beneficial effects: when used in the aluminum electrolysis industry, the electrolyte system provided herein can be directly used as an aluminum electrolyte or a replenishment system in an electrolyte without changing existing electrolysis technology to significantly reduce an electrolysis temperature during an aluminum electrolysis process.

Abstract: An adaptive biometric authentication system may include a user identity reference module that is configured to maintain user identification items stored in a secure memory. The system may include a passive data aggregator that is configured to receive and aggregate data items that are passively collected by a device that is in proximity to a user. The system may include a user identity confidence level generator that is configured to generate a user identity confidence level that indicates a confidence that the user in proximity to the device is the reference user based at least in part on a comparison between the passively collected data items and the user identification items, and to update the user identity confidence level as additional passively collected data items are received. The system may include an authentication module that facilitates user authentication based at least in part on the user identity confidence level.

Abstract: In the subject system for video warping, an electronic device may receive video data (e.g., from a video source). The electronic device may also receive or generate control information including view configuration information (e.g., for one or more viewports). The electronic device may warp a subset of the video data according to the view configuration information. The electronic device may process the warped subset of the video data using metadata associated with the video data. The electronic device may provide, for display, the processed subset of the video data. By warping the subset of the video data and then processing the warped subset of the video data, the system performs processing on the subset of the video data, instead of performing the processing the entire video data. In addition, the warped video data may be at a lower resolution than the original video data, which may require less resources for processing.

Abstract: A network architecture includes a gateway that terminates broadband service at a particular location, e.g., at the entry to a house or business. The gateway may execute a MoCA network controller (NC) that manages a network of MoCA nodes connected by cable connections. The gateway distributes content to the MoCA nodes on the network, using a logical star topology over the physical tree topology connections. The NC allocates greater downlink (gateway to MoCA node) bandwidth compared to uplink (node to gateway) bandwidth. Because the gateway terminates the broadband service, the network architecture frees very significant spectrum over the cable connections, permitting, for instance, the transmission of hundreds of Mbps of broadband content streams to the MoCA nodes.

Abstract: An adaptive biometric authentication system may include a user identity reference module that is configured to maintain user identification items stored in a secure memory. The system may include a passive data aggregator that is configured to receive and aggregate data items that are passively collected by a device that is in proximity to a user. The system may include a user identity confidence level generator that is configured to generate a user identity confidence level that indicates a confidence that the user in proximity to the device is the reference user based at least in part on a comparison between the passively collected data items and the user identification items, and to update the user identity confidence level as additional passively collected data items are received. The system may include an authentication module that facilitates user authentication based at least in part on the user identity confidence level.

Abstract: The invention provides a potassium cryolite for aluminum electrolysis industry, which has a molecular formula: mKF.AlF3, wherein m is from 1 to 1.5. The low-molecular-ratio potassium cryolite (mKF.AlF3, and m is from 1 to 1.5) provided by the invention is used for aluminum electrolysis industry, and can improve the dissolvability of aluminum oxide, thus reducing the temperature of electrolysis and the consumption of power, raising the efficiency of electrolysis and lowering the comprehensive production cost.

Abstract: A system controls a transmission of a sequence of compressed video data from an encoder buffer to a network for delivery to a decoder buffer. Control of the transmission includes to: determine characteristics of a video transmission path between the encoder buffer and the decoder buffer, the characteristics comprising at least one of a buffer size of the decoder buffer, an input rate of the decoder buffer, and a buffer size of an equivalent intermediary buffer of the video transmission path; determine a transmission rate from the characteristics of the video transmission path and from the sequence of compressed video data, the transmission rate being determined such that a target quality of service value can be guaranteed for the entire sequence of compressed video data transmitted at the determined transmission rate to the decoder buffer; and control transmission of the sequence of compressed video data at the determined transmission rate.

Abstract: A context-aware decision making system may include at least one processor circuit that is configured to obtain an environmental profile of an environment associated with a user. The at least one processor circuit is configured to determine a predicted behavior of the user based at least on the obtained environmental profile. The at least one processor circuit may be configured to determine the predicted behavior of the user using at least one predictive model associated with the user. The at least one processor circuit may be configured to perform an action related to the predicted behavior of the user, such as an action that facilitates the predicted behavior of the user, an action that impedes the predicted behavior of the user, and/or an action that provides information related to the predicted behavior of the user.

Abstract: A vehicular communication device and method for communicating with a remote server. In various embodiments, the vehicular communication device receives a plurality of device packets from a vehicle device(s) via a vehicular communication network, including device packets having a first priority and device packets having a second priority. Processing circuitry of the vehicular communication device determines the respective priorities of the received device packets based upon the contents of the packets, and queues at least some of the received device packets (and/or informational packets derived therefrom) in accordance with the respective priorities. The queued packets are output to a remote server for processing. The vehicular communication device receives responsive content from the remote server, which may include safety content, a servicing notice and/or targeted commercial content.

Abstract: A system for determining the servicing needs of a vehicle. In various embodiments, the system includes a remote server and a vehicle control module of the vehicle. The vehicle control module includes a first communication interface to enable communications with at least one vehicle device via a network fabric of the vehicle. The vehicle control module is configured to receive status data, from the vehicle device, relating to a performance status or operational status of the vehicle. The vehicle control module further includes a second communication interface that enables wireless communications with the remote server. The wireless communications include sending status data to the remote server. The remote server is configured to receive and interpret the status data to determine if the vehicle requires service, and send a response to the vehicle. When service is required, the response may cause the vehicle to provide a service indication.

Abstract: Different data communication architectures deliver a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, to consumers. The architectures employ channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. In some implementations, the communication architectures distribute data streams to bonded channels that are clocked independently. A system is provided for synchronizing the bonded channels.

Abstract: A system for layered local caching of downstream shared media in a hierarchical tree network arrangement includes a first network node on a first distribution network having a first caching controller. The first network node configured to store a video segment transmitted on the first distribution network based on a first instruction received by the first caching controller from a central caching controller communicatively coupled to the first distribution network. The central caching controller is located upstream from the first network node. The system includes a second network node on a second distribution network having a second caching controller and communicatively coupled to the first network node. The second network node configured to store a video segment transmitted on the second distribution network based on a second instruction received by the second caching controller from the first caching controller.

Abstract: Presented herein are system(s), method(s), and apparatus for determining the presentation time for a picture without a presentation time stamp. A first and second picture are decoded. The first picture is a reference picture for the second picture. The presentation time for the second pictures is computed as a function of a presentation time and a decode time for the first picture.

Abstract: A video processing system includes a video encoder that encodes a video stream into an independent video layer stream and a first dependent video layer stream based on a motion vector data or grayscale and color data.

Abstract: A system controls a transmission of a sequence of compressed video data from an encoder buffer to a network for delivery to a decoder buffer. Control of the transmission includes to: determine characteristics of a video transmission path between the encoder buffer and the decoder buffer, the characteristics comprising at least one of a buffer size of the decoder buffer, an input rate of the decoder buffer, and a buffer size of an equivalent intermediary buffer of the video transmission path; determine a transmission rate from the characteristics of the video transmission path and from the sequence of compressed video data, the transmission rate being determined such that a target quality of service value can be guaranteed for the entire sequence of compressed video data transmitted at the determined transmission rate to the decoder buffer; and control transmission of the sequence of compressed video data at the determined transmission rate.

Abstract: Systems and methods to deliver streaming video over a hybrid network are provided herein. An adjusted bitrate to transmit video from a server to a client is determined in response to a fast-forward or rewind request. Frames from a video are selectively transmitted to accommodate for the adjusted bitrate based and a bitrate of a connection between the server and the client.

Abstract: Methods and systems for encoding multimedia content with enforcement of commercial advertisements are discussed in the disclosure. Some of the methods may require all or part of a commercial advertisement segment to be viewed and/or decoded in order to decode an entertainment segment. In some implementations, the disclosure provides for inserting commercial advertisements in a video stream. The various implementations discussed herein may require a viewer to watch all or part of a commercial segment in order to view an entertainment segment of multimedia content.

Abstract: A vehicle network node module includes device buffers, a network buffer, a switch circuit, and a processing module. The device buffers temporarily store outgoing device packets from, and temporarily store incoming device packets for, vehicle devices in accordance with a locally managed prioritization scheme. The network buffer receives incoming network packets from, and outputs the outgoing network packets to, a vehicle network fabric in accordance with a global vehicle network protocol. The network buffer also temporarily stores the incoming network packets and the outgoing network packets in accordance with the locally managed prioritization scheme. The switching circuit selectively couples the network buffer to individual ones of the device buffers in accordance with the locally managed prioritization scheme.