A method for pushing information in live streaming is provided. With this method, a live streaming terminal may send a push information identifier to a live streaming server in a live streaming process. The live streaming server may determine an access address of push information based on the push information identifier, and send the access address to a play terminal. The play terminal can present the push information to a play terminal user, and allows the play terminal user to trigger the access address. When the play terminal user triggers the access address, the play terminal can access a web page corresponding to the push information. As such, an access address of push information published by a live streaming terminal user can be accessed on an interface of a play terminal, and a user of the play terminal can obtain the push information by clicking the access address.

A communications system is provided employing two-way integration approach providing access to notifications and actions occurring on unmanaged communication devices through the use of TV. The system includes installation of an application on unmanaged devices providing the ability to access all notifications and actions occurring on the unmanaged devices using TV. The unmanaged device obtains an input directly from TV from an application server which in turn obtains its input primarily from a TV. The input is not limited to the TV only, and can come from other sources.

A communications system is provided employing two-way integration approach providing access to notifications and actions occurring on unmanaged communication devices through the use of TV. The system includes installation of an application on unmanaged devices providing the ability to access all notifications and actions occurring on the unmanaged devices using TV. The unmanaged device obtains an input directly from TV from an application server which in turn obtains its input primarily from a TV. The input is not limited to the TV only, and can come from other sources.

A content distribution network includes a first server in communication with an anycast server that provides content via a unicast signal, and with a multicast server that provides the content via a multicast signal. The first server is configured to receive a list of source addresses associated with the content, and to provide a metadata file including an anycast Internet protocol address of the anycast server from the list of source addresses as an Internet protocol address of the content in response to a first request for the content. When the number of client devices requesting the content exceeds a first threshold, the first server receives an updated list of sources including a multicast Internet protocol address of a multicast server, and provides the multicast Internet protocol address of the multicast server as the Internet protocol address of the content in the metadata file.

A content distribution network includes a first server in communication with an anycast server that provides content via a unicast signal, and with a multicast server that provides the content via a multicast signal. The first server is configured to receive a list of source addresses associated with the content, and to provide a metadata file including an anycast Internet protocol address of the anycast server from the list of source addresses as an Internet protocol address of the content in response to a first request for the content. When the number of client devices requesting the content exceeds a first threshold, the first server receives an updated list of sources including a multicast Internet protocol address of a multicast server, and provides the multicast Internet protocol address of the multicast server as the Internet protocol address of the content in the metadata file.

A method for accessing a serving network includes: obtaining, by a user plane network element, an access message, where the access message is for a terminal accessing a serving network, and where the access message includes authentication information of the terminal in the serving network; and sending, by the user plane network element, the access message to the serving network. The method for accessing serving network and the communications apparatus that are provided in the embodiments of this application enable a terminal to access a serving network using an access network, and expand a usage scenario of the serving network.

A transmission apparatus capable of ensuring transmission quality when switching one of duplicated video data items transmitted using different transmission paths, to the other thereof, for display. Encoding sections A and B perform first and second encoding processing for generating first and second data based on video data, respectively, so as to transmit the first and second data to a reception apparatus via first and second transmission paths, respectively. Information on a skew between the first and second data received by the reception apparatus via the first and second transmission paths is acquired, for controlling at least one of the encoding sections A and B based on the skew information such that the skew is reduced.

A transmission apparatus capable of ensuring transmission quality when switching one of duplicated video data items transmitted using different transmission paths, to the other thereof, for display. Encoding sections A and B perform first and second encoding processing for generating first and second data based on video data, respectively, so as to transmit the first and second data to a reception apparatus via first and second transmission paths, respectively. Information on a skew between the first and second data received by the reception apparatus via the first and second transmission paths is acquired, for controlling at least one of the encoding sections A and B based on the skew information such that the skew is reduced.

A profile provider: (i) associates a primary online device (OD1) with a set-top box (STB); (ii) a location of OD1 at some point in time is estimated to be near the STB, thereby establishing a STB proxy location; (iii) one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located near the STB proxy location and are associated with the STB; and (iv) a television advertisement is selected to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. The method can be particularly advantageous in situations wherein: the STB is not connected to any computer network; the STB is not ever connected to the same local area network as OD1 or OD2; or television service (used by the STB) and online access (used by OD1 and OD2s) are provided by different service providers.

A profile provider: (i) associates a primary online device (OD1) with a set-top box (STB); (ii) a location of OD1 at some point in time is estimated to be near the STB, thereby establishing a STB proxy location; (iii) one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located near the STB proxy location and are associated with the STB; and (iv) a television advertisement is selected to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. The method can be particularly advantageous in situations wherein: the STB is not connected to any computer network; the STB is not ever connected to the same local area network as OD1 or OD2; or television service (used by the STB) and online access (used by OD1 and OD2s) are provided by different service providers.