The invention relates to a method, by a policy controller 100, for generating policy rules for data packet flows in a communications network. The policy controller 100 has access to a policy database 130 and stores a service level agreement. The service level agreement contains a plurality of different service level identifiers, each service level identifier being associated with a set of conditions that govern the policy rules to be applied to the data packet flows in the communications network. The method comprises the following steps: An authorization request is received for a data packet flow, the authorization request comprising service information for a service and a service level identifier. The policy database 130 is accessed and the set of conditions associated with the received service level identifier is determined. Further, based on the determined set of conditions, a policy rule to be applied to the data packet flow is generated. Policy controller 100 is configured to generate policy rules based on a third party or company profile, with the third party company being able to influence which policy rule should be selected by the policy controller. The authorization request may be received directly from an application function, AF 200. An input unit 230 is provided via which the third party can define and agree upon the service level agreement with an operator of the communications network. A policy control enforcing function PCEF 51 can interact with the PCRF 100 in order to enforce the policy rules.

A technique for distributing transmission resources in a media data streaming system is disclosed. A user terminal of the media data streaming system comprises an interface configured to receive a stream of variable bitrate encoded media data via a communications network. The user terminal further comprises a memory storing program code and at least one processing device configured to execute the program code. The program code causes the processing device to determine bitrate variation information for the media data stream and to trigger transmission of the bitrate variation information towards a network component. The network component is configured to trigger dynamic distribution of the transmission resources of the communications network among multiple user terminals dependent on the bitrate variation information.

Generating a 2D barcode includes acquiring private information input by a user and sending the private information to a server through a network. The method includes receiving an information access address returned through the network by the server, and generating a 2D barcode including the information access address. The method further includes acquiring a 2D barcode including an information access address and scanning the 2D barcode to obtain the information access address included in the 2D barcode, the information access address being for accessing private information. The method further includes sending the information access address to a server through a network, and receiving the private information returned through the network by the server, and using the private information as a reading result of the 2D barcode.

An engine architecture for processing finite automata includes a hyper non-deterministic automata (HNA) processor specialized for non-deterministic finite automata (NFA) processing. The HNA processor includes a plurality of super-clusters and an HNA scheduler. Each super-cluster includes a plurality of clusters. Each cluster of the plurality of clusters includes a plurality of HNA processing units (HPUs). A corresponding plurality of HPUs of a corresponding plurality of clusters of at least one selected super-cluster is available as a resource pool of HPUs to the HNA scheduler for assignment of at least one HNA instruction to enable acceleration of a match of at least one regular expression pattern in an input stream received from a network.

An authentication method. The method comprises comparing user voice data received via an electronic device to a stored voice template to determine a voice authentication parameter. A voice authentication threshold is determined and the voice authentication parameter is compared to the voice authentication threshold to determine whether to authenticate the user. Determining the voice authentication threshold comprises determining a current value of an enrolment counter, then comparing the current value of the enrolment counter to an enrolment counter threshold and determining whether the stored voice template is fully enrolled according to the result. If the stored voice template is fully enrolled, the voice authentication threshold is set to a first voice authentication threshold. If the stored voice template is not fully enrolled then a device attribute received from the electronic device is compared to a stored device attribute. If the received device attribute matches the stored device attribute, the voice authentication threshold is set to a second voice authentication threshold determined by the current value of the enrolment counter. If the received device attribute does not match the stored device attribute, the voice authentication threshold is set to a third voice authentication threshold.

A method of encapsulating an encoded bitstream representing one or more images, the encapsulated bitstream comprising a data part and a metadata part. The method including providing image item information identifying a portion of the data part representing a sub-image or an image of a single image; providing image description information comprising parameters including display parameters and/or transformation operators relating to one or more images and outputting said bitstream together with said provided information as an encapsulated data file, wherein the image description information is stored in the metadata part.

A method and system for group-oriented encryption and decryption that supports the implementation of the designation and revocation functions of decryption users in a large-scale group. During the encryption, the system acquires a corresponding aggregate function according to an encryption mode; acquires any selected subset S and public parameters, and outputs an aggregate value of the subset S; generates a ciphertext of to-be-transmitted information according to the public parameters, a to-be-transmitted message and the aggregate value; acquires the encryption mode and the subset S comprised in the received ciphertext, operates the subset S and an identity of a current decryptor according to the encryption mode, and outputs a new subset S′; acquires an aggregate function corresponding to the encryption mode during the decryption; outputs an aggregate value of the new subset S′; and decrypts the received ciphertext according to the public parameters and the aggregate value, so as to obtain the to-be-transmitted information.

A scheme for managing ABR streaming of content in a wireless radio network environment that may have radio white spot areas. Upon determining that the wireless UE device executing an ABR client application is in a radio white spot area, the current ABR streaming session may be suspended at a particular segment. Thereafter, playback of other content locally cached at the wireless UE device may be commenced in lieu of the ABR media segments. When the wireless UE device exits the radio white spot area, the ABR streaming session may be resumed from a point adjacent to the particular segment where the ABR streaming session was suspended.

Secret application and maintenance policy data is generated for different classes of data. The class of data to be protected is determined and the secret application and maintenance policy data for the determined class of the data to be protected is identified and obtained. Required secrets data representing one or more secrets to be applied to the data to be protected is obtained and then automatically scheduled for application to the data to be protected in accordance with the secret application and maintenance policy data for the determined class of the data to be protected. Maintenance of the one or more secrets is also automatically scheduled in accordance with the secret application and maintenance policy data for the determined class of the data to be protected.

A data communication system is provided. The data communication system includes at least one transmitter that is operable to communicate data packets via a data communication network and/or a data carrier to at least one receiver. The at least one transmitter is operable to include within at least one of the data packets a plurality of mutually different types of data having mutually different priorities. Optionally, the data communication system is operable to communicate to the at least one receiver information that is indicative of the one or more priorities of the plurality of mutually different types of data. Optionally, the data communication system is operable to communicate the information that is indicative of the mutually different priorities of the plurality of mutually different types of data within the at least one of the data packets.