A system for discovering devices and for generating, providing and/or receiving services for second screen devices.

A system for discovering devices and for generating, providing and/or receiving services for second screen devices.

A method of processing EPG metadata in a network according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of performing a services discovery procedure utilizing multiple service discovery metadata components supplied by a service provider and processing an EPG metadata. Moreover, the performing step includes the steps of receiving a master SI table which locates in a master SI table location in provisioning information, the provisioning information including multiple elements, an EPG provider information element in the multiple elements having both a first delivery layer element and an EPG data locator element, the first delivery layer element giving a type of delivery layer that is delivered by at least one of an EPG metadata provider's EPG data sources, receiving a virtual channel map table which locates in virtual channel map locations in the received master SI table, receiving a virtual channel description table which locates in virtual channel description table locations in the received virtual channel map table, and receiving a source table which locates in source table locations in the received virtual channel description table.

A method of processing EPG metadata in a network according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of performing a services discovery procedure utilizing multiple service discovery metadata components supplied by a service provider and processing an EPG metadata. Moreover, the performing step includes the steps of receiving a master SI table which locates in a master SI table location in provisioning information, the provisioning information including multiple elements, an EPG provider information element in the multiple elements having both a first delivery layer element and an EPG data locator element, the first delivery layer element giving a type of delivery layer that is delivered by at least one of an EPG metadata provider's EPG data sources, receiving a virtual channel map table which locates in virtual channel map locations in the received master SI table, receiving a virtual channel description table which locates in virtual channel description table locations in the received virtual channel map table, and receiving a source table which locates in source table locations in the received virtual channel description table.

A distributed CATV system capable of removing jitter of upstream IP packets from distribution nodes over a packet distribution network is described. The headend of the CATV system has a jitter buffer that temporarily stores each upstream packet until a scheduled time that is computed to equalize the delays among the different distribution nodes. Each packet is associated with a timestamp, and the scheduled time to remove the packet from the jitter buffer is computed based on the packet's timestamp and the equalized delay. The distribution node that sends the packet upstream to the headened also inserts the timestamp into the packet.

A distributed CATV system capable of removing jitter of upstream IP packets from distribution nodes over a packet distribution network is described. The headend of the CATV system has a jitter buffer that temporarily stores each upstream packet until a scheduled time that is computed to equalize the delays among the different distribution nodes. Each packet is associated with a timestamp, and the scheduled time to remove the packet from the jitter buffer is computed based on the packet's timestamp and the equalized delay. The distribution node that sends the packet upstream to the headened also inserts the timestamp into the packet.

A system and method for providing non-guaranteed channels in a switched digital video network using multicast adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming. In one implementation, upon receiving a request for a non-guaranteed channel is received from a subscriber station (e.g., a set-top box or STB), a bandwidth pipe modeling process is operative to model a bandwidth pipe corresponding to each edge QAM device configured to support non-guaranteed channels for selecting a particular edge QAM device that can best accommodate the requested non-guaranteed channel. Bitrates of MABR streams of existing channels of the selected edge QAM device may be adjusted in order to accommodate a particular MABR stream at chosen bitrate of the requested non-guaranteed channel. IGMP Join operations may be effectuated, as needed, to join MABR streams of the existing channels and the requested non-guaranteed channel to correct IGMP group(s). A channel change response message including one or more channel frequencies, if the change request is accommodated, may be transmitted to the requesting subscriber station.

A system and method for providing non-guaranteed channels in a switched digital video network using multicast adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming. In one implementation, upon receiving a request for a non-guaranteed channel is received from a subscriber station (e.g., a set-top box or STB), a bandwidth pipe modeling process is operative to model a bandwidth pipe corresponding to each edge QAM device configured to support non-guaranteed channels for selecting a particular edge QAM device that can best accommodate the requested non-guaranteed channel. Bitrates of MABR streams of existing channels of the selected edge QAM device may be adjusted in order to accommodate a particular MABR stream at chosen bitrate of the requested non-guaranteed channel. IGMP Join operations may be effectuated, as needed, to join MABR streams of the existing channels and the requested non-guaranteed channel to correct IGMP group(s). A channel change response message including one or more channel frequencies, if the change request is accommodated, may be transmitted to the requesting subscriber station.

The present disclosure describes a monitoring device for determining one or more characteristics of one or more scheduled programs within one or more packetized elementary streams of one or more transport streams. The monitoring device receives the one or more transport streams from a service provider system and de-encapsulates the one or more packetized elementary streams from the one or more transport streams. The monitoring device determines the one or more characteristics of the one or more scheduled programs from the one or more packetized elementary streams. The one or more characteristics can be used by the monitoring device to adapt on a dynamic, real-time, or near real-time, basis to changes to the one or more transport streams.

The present disclosure describes a monitoring device for determining one or more characteristics of one or more scheduled programs within one or more packetized elementary streams of one or more transport streams. The monitoring device receives the one or more transport streams from a service provider system and de-encapsulates the one or more packetized elementary streams from the one or more transport streams. The monitoring device determines the one or more characteristics of the one or more scheduled programs from the one or more packetized elementary streams. The one or more characteristics can be used by the monitoring device to adapt on a dynamic, real-time, or near real-time, basis to changes to the one or more transport streams.