A relay apparatus for connecting a communication link with a small delay and a communication link with a large delay, includes a first feedback device (71) for receiving a packet of a media stream transmitted on said link with a small delay, and transmitting information including a packet loss rate over a predetermined period to a transmission source (11), adjusting means (13') for adjusting passage of packets received from said network according to transmission capability of said communication link with a large delay, and a second feedback device (73) for transmitting to said transmission source (11) an acknowledge response about a packet transmitted through said adjusting means (13') to said communication link.

Medium streaming distribution system

A data transmission method and system is disclosed in which one or more data streams are transmitted at respective transmission rates which are controlled to prevent data buffers in the receiver from overflowing. In some embodiments feedback data concerning the state of each buffer in a receiving client is received at the transmitting server, and used to adapt the sending rates to achieve the effect. Information indicative of the data decode rates or the fill extent of each buffer is communicated to the server as the feedback data. In other embodiments the server makes an open-loop estimate of the remaining space in the buffer, and controls the transmission rate accordingly. A data receiving method and system adapted to receive the data streams is also disclosed.

Data communications method and system using buffer size to calculate transmission rate for congestion control

A data streaming system and method typically use a server arranged to stream one of a plurality of encoded data streams to a client. Each of the plurality of data streams may be an independent representation of a common data source encoded at a different resolution to the other of the plurality of data streams. The server can include a transmitter and a first buffer. The transmitter can be arranged to transmit data packets of the encoded data stream to the client via the first buffer. The transmitter can be arranged to monitor the content of the first buffer and switch to transmit another of the plurality of data streams in the event that predetermined criteria are detected from the first buffer.

Data streaming system and method

Methods of operating a communications system comprise, in one example, inserting advertising in a program stream by a receiving device based, at least in part, on an encrypted segmentation message embedded in the program steam. The at least one segmentation message defines an expanse of the program stream to receive the advertising. At least one embedded decoy message is included in the program stream, as well. In one example the receiving device, which may be a set-top terminal, for example, is coupled to a display device, such as a television, at a user location. A method of operating a receiving device coupled to a display device at a user location is also disclosed, comprising programming the receiving device to record a program and recording the program based, at least in part, on at least one segmentation message in a program stream. Systems are disclosed, as well.

Use of messages in or associated with program signal streams by set-top terminals

Segmentation messages indicative of locations of upcoming events, such as the start and end of programs and program portions, and/or rights related to the programs and program portions, are used by cable systems and the like to store programs and program portions for later retrieval and transmission to customers on request. Storage, retrieval and management of programming is thereby facilitated. Methods and systems are disclosed.

Program storage, retrieval and management based on segmentation messages

A method and apparatus for splicing programs in the MPEG domain, wherein program data is carried in MPEG transport streams (TS) of data packets. The data packets carry application data, e.g. video and audio data, and a header provided with control data. According to the invention control data objects are established for each data packet for storing time references and data packet status information. The control data objects are queued in different queues dependent on the data packet status or on the status of a group of data packets. Control data objects associated to data packets to be output in an output stream of data packets are selected from the queues, whereupon selected control objects are assembled to a program of associated data packets of different kinds of data. Finally, data packets associated to said selected and assembled control data objects are assembled to an output stream of data packets.

Method and apparatus for splicing

A method of reducing noise in a video signal which includes a plurality of video frames being composed of a plurality of pixels, the method comprising the steps of: comparing video information contained in a current video frame and a plurality of temporally adjacent video frames; selecting from the current video frame and the adjacent video frames the video information that according to a predetermined condition is likely to be correct for the current video frame; and finally assigning the selected video information to the current video frame to thereby produce a video frame wherein noise has been reduced.

Method and device for noise reduction

Verfahren und vorrichtung zur verbindung von programmen

A method and apparatus for aligning in time, and subsequently splicing, first and second data streams representing first and second encoded signals, which streams have one or more in-points and out-points, meaning places in the streams at which it is safe to enter and leave without causing undesired loss of data. The method comprises the steps of receiving as input the first and the second data streams (1, 2), and initially transmitting as an output the first data stream (5); selecting an out-point in the first data stream (1) and an in-point in the second data stream (2); delaying or advancing the second data stream (2) in order to align the in-point and the out-point at a splice point in time; switching (6) to transmit as an output, said second data stream instead of said first data stream, at the time of said splice point. The invention is particularly suitable for the insertion of a second stream into a first stream, without requiring that the length of the second stream correspond to any distance between out-points and in-points of the first stream, by delaying or advancing the first stream when re-entering from the second stream. A variable delay is associated with the first stream, and is updated at the completion of every insertion cycle dependent on the delaying or advancing. Preferably the invention includes selecting an in-point in the first stream that will decrease the accumulated variable delay.

Roger Andersson

Papers

Method and apparatus for splicing

Method and device for noise reduction

Verfahren und vorrichtung zur verbindung von programmen

Method and apparatus for splicing data streams