Abstract: Disclosed are methods, circuits and systems for transmission of a video block. A video stream may be composed of sequential video frames, and each video frame may be composed of one or more video blocks including a set of pixels. Prior to transmission of the data associated with a video block, a signature of the video block may be generated, for example using a spatial to frequency transform such as a two dimensional discrete cosine transform. Signatures of corresponding video blocks across consecutive video frames may be compared in order to determine whether a given video block of a current video frame is static or dynamic relative to prior video corresponding video blocks. Transmission parameters of the given block may depend on whether the block is designated as static or dynamic.

Abstract: The invention enables the transmission of continuous complex numbers using a symbol based transmission scheme such as OFDM. Accordingly, complex numbers are mapped to the constellation map, enabling a fine granularity of constellation points. This scheme may be used, for example, in the transmission of video where the coefficients representing the higher frequency of each of the video components, as well as the quantization error values of the DC and near DC components, or some, possibly non-linear transformation thereof, are sent as pairs of real and imaginary portions of a complex number that comprises a symbol.

Abstract: A method of compressing an image formed of pixels. The method includes providing a pixel of the image, to be encoded, selecting at least two pixels of the image, other than the encoded pixel, defining a straight line including the encoded pixel, to serve as prediction pixels, calculating a prediction value for the encoded pixel using at least the selected pixels, determining a difference between the calculated prediction value and the actual value of the encoded pixel, encoding the determined difference, such that the encoding error is bounded; and repeating for at least 5% of the pixels of the image.

Abstract: A system is provided to automatically estimate performance of a receiver for receiving input signals, the input signals having a carrier frequency and a baud rate, from a channel in a communication system and the effect of highly correlated noise cancellation on performance of the receiver, while no active transmission is occurring on the channel, comprising: a digital front end in the receiver for receiving samples of the input signals; a predictor coupled to the digital front end for predicting highly correlated noise in a second sample of the input signal; and a subtraction unit coupled to the predictor for subtracting the predictor output from the second sample to determine residual noise in the second sample. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of transmitting video images. The method includes providing a high definition video stream, compressing the video stream using an image domain compression method, in which each pixel is coded based on a vicinity of the pixel and transmitting the compressed video stream over a fading transmission channel.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically improving throughput of an active channel in a communication system comprising: receiving input from one or more modules that identify and characterize impairments in the active channel; monitoring the input to track changes in the impairments; and changing channel parameters to improve throughput on the channel based on the changes in the impairments. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically improving throughput of an active channel in a communication system comprising: receiving input from one or more modules that identify and characterize impairments in the active channel; monitoring the input to track changes in the impairments; and changing channel parameters to improve throughput on the channel based on the changes in the impairments. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Some demonstrative embodiments of the invention include devices, systems and/or methods of error-protection of a wireless video transmission. Some demonstrative embodiments of the invention include a wireless transmitter to transmit a wireless transmission including a data stream corresponding to at least a video signal. The data stream may include a plurality of data components, which are protected according to an unequal error protection scheme. At least first and second data components of the plurality of data components may be protected by first and second error protection mechanisms, respectively. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method is provided to provide data to automatically estimate channel performance in a communication system if a different order constellation is used comprising the steps of: receiving an input signal from the channel; passing the input signal to a slicer having an output signal; determining signal noise by taking the difference between the input signal and output signal; identifying a beginning of a noise event when the signal noise is greater than a predefined first threshold; identifying an end of a noise event when the signal noise is less than a predefined second threshold; and providing for output the beginning of the noise event and the end of the noise event. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Wireless transmission of high-definition video, whether essentially uncompressed or compressed, is prone to errors during reception due to the condition of the wireless link. To ensure video quality during changing link conditions it is desirable to ensure that those portions of the video that represent the more important components of the video signal, such as the lower special frequencies or most significant bits, are assured correct reception at the receiver. Bandwidth limitations of the wireless link affect the amount of data that can be sent over the link. Hence, using a high level error recovery for all of the information is not feasible. Accordingly, a method and apparatus for unequal error protection is disclosed that provides a higher level of error protection to the more important elements of the transmission while affording less error protection to the other elements of the transmission.

Abstract: The uncompressed wireless transmission of video, as with many other wireless applications, requires constant knowledge of channel characteristics at the receiver end. To estimate the channel and track its changes, pilots containing known data are sent in various parts of the used bandwidth. The use of such pilots reduces the effective bandwidth available for data transmission. Due to the relative high immunity to introduced interference of certain transmission modes, such as QPSK and QAM, pilots can be modulated by digital data components. At the receiver, pilots are demodulated and used for a decision-directed circuit to determine the characteristics of the transmission channel. The additional bandwidth allows a higher data rate which may be such used for various purposes as diversity, coding, etc. Such use of pilot signals is of particular advantage in the wireless transmission of the DC and near DC components of essentially uncompressed video.

Abstract: The vertical blanking period is an idle period in video transmission that was originally intended for allowing the trace back of an electron beam to its point of origin. When sending the video signal over a wireless channel, the wireless channel may remain free of transmission of data during this period. However, in wireless transmission of a video signal in general, and in the transmission of an essentially uncompressed video signal in particular, there is a need to use all the bandwidth available, especially when transmitting a high-definition video signal. Therefore, a method is taught for using the vertical blanking period of a video signal for modem maintenance.

Abstract: The invention enables the transmission of continuous complex numbers using a symbol based transmission scheme such as OFDM. Accordingly, complex numbers are mapped to the constellation map, enabling a fine granularity of constellation points. This scheme may be used, for example, in the transmission of video where the coefficients representing the higher frequency of each of the video components, as well as the quantization error values of the DC and near DC components, or some, possibly non-linear transformation thereof, are sent as pairs of real and imaginary portions of a complex number that comprises a symbol.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for wireless transmission of uncompressed HDTV video overcomes the challenges of sending vast amounts of information over a wireless link. This is achieved by direct mapping of transformation coefficients of the video components to communication symbols, such as OFDM symbols. A main portion of the important transform coefficients, for example the MSBs of the coefficients representing lower frequencies of each of the video components, and in particular the quantized values of the lower frequencies components, are sent in a coarse representation using, for example, QPSK or QAM. The coefficients representing higher frequencies of the video components, and the quantization error values of the lower frequencies components, or some, non-linear transformation thereof, are sent as pairs of real and imaginary portions of a complex number that comprises a point in a fine constellation. The invention further provides a delay-less and buffer-less implementation of transmitter and receiver pairs.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically optimizing parameter selection in a communication system having one or more channels for transmitting and receiving signals by the steps of: receiving a signal from a channel; characterizing impairments in the channel while gathering statistics using the received signal; analyzing the impairments to obtain recommendations for parameter modifications for improved performance; and modifying the parameters based on the recommendations. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method is provided to automatically identify noise events in a channel of a communication system comprising the steps of: receiving an input signal from the channel; determining the mean energy of the input signal; determining the recent energy of the input signal; identifying a beginning of the noise event when the recent energy is greater than the product of the mean energy and a predefined first threshold; identifying an end of a noise event when the recent energy is less that the product of the mean energy and a predefined second threshold; and providing for output the beginning of the noise event and the end of the noise event. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: In a cable television (CATV) data communication network, channel throughput and communications robustness are increased in a manner that improves speed of data transmission while maintaining compatibility with existing specifications and equipment. Enhanced throughput can be realized using the return channel of the CATV network. Alternatively, data retransmission and/or diversity techniques can be used to improve throughput.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing data for automatically estimating channel performance if different parameters of a Reed-Solomon (RS) code are used in a communication system while transmission is occurring in the communication system without changing the current Reed-Solomon (RS) code parameters.

Abstract: A method of compressing an image formed of pixels. The method includes providing a pixel of the image, to be encoded, selecting at least two pixels of the image, other than the encoded pixel, defining a straight line including the encoded pixel, to serve as prediction pixels, calculating a prediction value for the encoded pixel using at least the selected pixels, determining a difference between the calculated prediction value and the actual value of the encoded pixel, encoding the determined difference, such that the encoding error is bounded; and repeating for at least 5% of the pixels of the image.

Abstract: In a cable television (CATV) data communication network, channel throughput and communications robustness are increased in a manner that improves speed of data transmission while maintaining compatibility with existing specifications and equipment. Enhanced throughput can be realized using the return channel of the CATV network. Alternatively, data retransmission and/or diversity techniques can be used to improve throughput.