Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090300673 | Peer- to- peer set-top box system - A content sharing system, for implementation in a requesting peer, to receive at least a part of a chunk from a serving peer, the chunk being part of a content item, the requesting peer being operationally connected to a plurality of peers including the serving peer via a communications network, the content item being media content originally broadcast in a media stream by a Headend to at least some of the peers, the system including a metadata module to receive chunk metadata identifying the location of the chunk based on an identifier in the media stream originally broadcast by the Headend, a content transfer module to request the at least part of the chunk from the serving peer based on the chunk metadata, and receive the at least part of the chunk from the serving peer. Related apparatus and methods are also described. | 12-03-2009 |
20090303930 | WIRELESS NETWORKING SYSTEM AND METHOD - In a system comprising a first access point serving a first wireless network; and a neighbouring access point serving a neighbouring wireless network having coverage overlapping with the first wireless network, where the first access point and the neighbouring access point transmit beacon messages at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods, a method of operating the system is disclosed, the method comprising: the first access point sending a first offer to the neighbouring access point, the first offer offering a period of silent time to the neighbouring access point during which period of silent time the first access point silences the first wireless network, the period of silent time being independent of the beacon times and the beacon periods. | 12-10-2009 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120189285 | Method and System for Simultaneous Recording of Multiple Programs on a DVR - A method and system for broadcasting content, is described, the method and system facilitating simultaneous recording of multiple programs on a digital video recorder (DVR), the method and system including providing a plurality of content items, dividing each one of the plurality of content items into a multiplicity of chunks, each one of the chunks including at least one reference frame, for each one of the chunks determining a location of each reference frame included in the chunk, creating a chunk index of locations of each reference frame included in the chunk, creating a chunk file including the chunk and the chunk index, and inserting the chunk file in a data stream, such that no chunk file including a chunk from a particular content item is adjacent to a second chunk file including a chunk from the same particular content item, and broadcasting using a transmission bitrate greater than the bitrate of the data stream in a single channel in a multiplexed broadcast service, wherein the chunks files in the data stream are transmitted sequentially. Related systems, apparatus, and methods are also described. | 07-26-2012 |
20120192213 | Delivering an Audio Video Asset - A method of delivering an audio video asset is described. The method includes: receiving an order specifying an audio video asset to be delivered and a delivery destination for the audio video asset, wherein a delivery destination represents one or more physical delivery recipients; determining delivery paths representing different delivery technologies that could be used to deliver the audio video asset to the delivery destination; retrieving a set of path capacity timelines for the delivery paths, wherein path capacity timelines in the set of path capacity timelines each model a quantity of available capacity varying over time; processing the path capacity timelines to yield delivery path capacities; applying an allocation algorithm to the delivery path capacities to yield candidate delivery allocations, wherein candidate delivery allocations each includes one or more time periods during which one or more time periods a defined quantity of capacity can be allocated for delivery of the audio video asset; applying a cost function to the candidate delivery allocations to yield cost values, wherein the cost values each represent a cost of delivering the audio video asset according to the candidate delivery allocations; calculating scores for the candidate delivery allocations in dependence on a cost value for that candidate delivery allocation and one or more other objectives; selecting a candidate delivery allocation having a lowest score to yield a selected candidate delivery allocation; and delivering the audio video asset according to the selected candidate delivery allocation. Related apparatus and methods are also described. | 07-26-2012 |
20120307840 | DYNAMICALLY CONSTRUCTING A BROADCAST MULTIPLEX - A method and apparatus for dynamically constructing a broadcast multiplex are described. The method includes: receiving metadata associated with a first plurality of events on a plurality of source channels, the metadata including, at least, scheduling metadata; determining, on the basis of a rule-set applied to the metadata, whether events of the first plurality of events are to be included in the multiplex, thereby producing a second plurality of events to be included in the multiplex; for each one event of the second plurality of events, assigning a multiplex priority to the one event, the multiplex priority being a priority the one event is to be assigned in the multiplex in case the one event contends for space in the multiplex with a second event of the second plurality of events; copying events from the second plurality of events into the multiplex in dependence on the multiplex priorities of events in the second plurality of events; and broadcasting the multiplex. Related systems, apparatus, and methods are also described. | 12-06-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100171130 | Semiconductor device and fabrication method - A semiconductor device comprising a plurality of regions of semiconductor material forming a junction at an interface there-between, the junction including a depletion region having a width which varies spatially in at least one direction along the depletion region. Without limitation, the spatial variation in depletion region width is provided by ionised dopants having a concentration which varies spatially along said at least one direction. Alternatively, or in addition, the spatial variation in depletion region width is achieved by varying the thickness of the region(s) of semiconductor spatially along said at least one direction, for example by creating a plurality of cells within said region(s) devoid of said semiconductor material. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising the step of varying the width of the depletion region spatially there-within in at least one direction along the depletion region. | 07-08-2010 |
20120175677 | PHOTOCELL - A photocell which operates at multiple wavelengths for efficient power generation from broadband incident radiation. According to a preferred embodiment, the photocell is a multi-layer device that includes a first outer layer, a middle layer and an inner layer disposed on a substrate. All three layers are formed from II-VI semiconductor layers. The device is arranged such that the outer layer has a high band gap, the middle layer has a band gap which is less than half the band gap of the outer layer and the inner layer has a band gap which is less than half that of the substrate. Thus, there is a step change in band gap between various layers. | 07-12-2012 |
20130081670 | PHOTOCELL - An improved photocell offering efficient power generation from broadband incident radiation, the photocell includes a first diode formed in single crystal silicon and one or more further diodes each formed in a single crystal Group II-VI semiconductor. In a preferred embodiment, a tandem photocell is provided that incorporates a first diode formed in single crystal silicon, a second diode formed in a Group II-VI semiconductor, an optional buffer layer and a highly doped layer of silicon acting as an optional tunnel junction between the two diodes. The device can additionally include a layer of silicon deposited at the rear of the structure to maximise current collection of longer wavelength light, and top and bottom (front and back) electrical contacts. In use, light impinges on the top (front) surface of the photocell and is absorbed (in turn) by diodes. | 04-04-2013 |