公开(公告)号：EP1295480A2

公开(公告)日：2003-03-26

申请号：EP01948749.5

申请日：2001-06-27

申请人： PowerTV, Inc.

发明人： KNITTEL, Brian ,  DENMAN, Donn ,  LUE, Vincent ,  WONG, Andrew, C.

IPC分类号： H04N7/24

CPC分类号： H04N21/25808 ,  H04N19/40 ,  H04N21/40

摘要： An image display system includes a web server with web pages containing images in a first format. The first format includes a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), a Joint Photographics Experts Group (JPEG) format and/or a Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) format. A distributed communications system is connected to the web server. A proxy server is connected to the distributed communications system. The proxy server decompresses the first format images. The proxy server converts the first format images to a second format that includes either JPEG or MPEG image formats. The proxy server compresses the second format iamges. A set top box that is connected to the proxy server contains either hardwired circuits or hardware acceleration for quickly decompressing the second format images and for generating image frames. A display that is connected to the set top box allows viewing of the image frames.

公开(公告)号：EP1142309A1

公开(公告)日：2001-10-10

申请号：EP99967424.5

申请日：1999-12-17

申请人： PowerTV, Inc.

发明人： HOUHA, James, A. ,  ASPROMONTE, Bill, J. ,  STALKER, Altan, J.

IPC分类号： H04N5/00 ,  G06F11/14 ,  G06F9/445

CPC分类号： H04N21/443 ,  G06F9/4406 ,  G06F11/1417

摘要： A computer-implemented method and apparatus for restoring operating systems within a set-top box system. The restoration provides for operating a first operating system in a first memory. An application program is operated in a second memory. The first operating system is stored in a second memory so that a second operating system is loaded into the first memory. When a predetermined condition which is associated with the second operating system is detected, the first operating system is loaded into the first memory in response to the detected predetermined condition. Such a system provides such non-limiting advantages to the set-top box as the ability to robustly recover from errors or anomalies associated with downloading an operating system.

公开(公告)号：EP1142307A1

公开(公告)日：2001-10-10

申请号：EP99966434.5

申请日：1999-12-17

申请人： PowerTV, Inc.

发明人： HOUHA, James, A.

IPC分类号： H04N5/00 ,  G06F9/46

CPC分类号： G06F9/4843 ,  G06F9/461 ,  H04N21/443

摘要： A computer-implemented thread is provided for communicating with other threads in a set-top box environment. The thread includes a stack, a thread control block, and a queue object. The thread's stack provides data storage for the thread, and the thread control block is utilized for storing context information related to the thread. The queue object is utilized for providing communications between the thread and another thread. A swap type detector can be provided for detecting a predetermined swap type for when the thread is swapped from the CPU. A register recorder partially stores the CPU state of the thread based upon the detected swap type of the thread. The register recorder also can perform a partial storage of the CPU state of the thread based upon a received interrupt service request.

摘要翻译： 提供计算机实现的线程用于与机顶盒环境中的其他线程进行通信。 该线程包括一个堆栈，一个线程控制块和一个队列对象。 线程的堆栈为线程提供数据存储，并且线程控制块用于存储与线程相关的上下文信息。 队列对象用于在线程和另一个线程之间提供通信。 交换类型检测器可以被提供用于当线程从CPU交换时检测预定的交换类型。 寄存器记录器根据检测到的线程交换类型部分存储线程的CPU状态。 寄存器还可以基于接收到的中断服务请求执行线程的CPU状态的部分存储。

公开(公告)号：EP0870235B1

公开(公告)日：2007-07-25

申请号：EP96945247.3

申请日：1996-12-27

申请人： Powertv, Inc.

发明人： HOUHA, James, A. ,  FREEDMAN, Gordon, J.

IPC分类号： G06F12/02 ,  G06F13/10 ,  G06F9/445

CPC分类号： H04N21/4435 ,  G06F8/54 ,  G06F9/44521 ,  H04L29/06 ,  H04N21/235 ,  H04N21/23614 ,  H04N21/435 ,  H04N21/4351 ,  H04N21/8166

摘要： A system for preprocessing computer programs before downloading them into terminals includes a packager (303) which processes certain information contained in compiled but unlinked programs (307). The packager (303) partially resolves undefined symbols and relocations based on knowledge of a dispatch table (310) in the destination terminal (302) and other information known prior to downloading process. Packager (303) determines sizes of separate code, data dispatch table and temporary symbol areas, incorporates this size information into a header (309d), and transmits a data stream including the header and the aforementioned areas, including partially resolved symbols, to one or more terminals such as home communication terminals (HCTs) in a cable television network. Each receiving terminal (302) extracts the size information and allocates only as much memory as is needed to store each of the separate areas, thus avoiding the need for temporary holding buffer. Receiving terminal thereafter relocates remaining executable instructions to prepare the computer program for execution.

公开(公告)号：EP1142309B1

公开(公告)日：2003-03-12

申请号：EP99967424.5

申请日：1999-12-17

申请人： PowerTV, Inc.

发明人： HOUHA, James, A. ,  ASPROMONTE, Bill, J. ,  STALKER, Altan, J.

IPC分类号： H04N5/00 ,  G06F11/14 ,  G06F9/445

CPC分类号： H04N21/443 ,  G06F9/4406 ,  G06F11/1417

摘要： A computer-implemented method and apparatus for restoring operating systems within a set-top box system. The restoration provides for operating a first operating system in a first memory. An application program is operated in a second memory. The first operating system is stored in a second memory so that a second operating system is loaded into the first memory. When a predetermined condition which is associated with the second operating system is detected, the first operating system is loaded into the first memory in response to the detected predetermined condition. Such a system provides such non-limiting advantages to the set-top box as the ability to robustly recover from errors or anomalies associated with downloading an operating system.

公开(公告)号：EP1166560A1

公开(公告)日：2002-01-02

申请号：EP00916169.6

申请日：2000-03-08

申请人： PowerTV, Inc. ,  Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.

发明人： ASPROMONTE, Bill, J. ,  STALKER, Altan, J. ,  JOHNSON, Lee, R.

IPC分类号： H04N7/173

CPC分类号： H04N21/4345 ,  H04N21/443

摘要： A resource allocation system and method for allocating control of a multimedia resource between at least two computer programs residing on a multimedia client. A tune request data structure receives and stores requests for multimedia resources from the computer programs. A priority weighting schedule is associated with the tune request data structure for defining weighting factor to apply to pertinent characteristics of the request. A find dominant request module determines a priority level to be assigned to each of the stored requests based on the priority weighting schedule. The dominant request is permitted to control the arbitrated multimedia resource.

摘要翻译： 一种用于在驻留在多媒体客户端上的至少两个计算机程序之间分配对多媒体资源的控制的资源分配系统和方法。 调谐请求数据结构从计算机程序接收并存储对多媒体资源的请求。 优先权加权时间表与调谐请求数据结构相关联，用于定义加权因子以应用于请求的相关特性。 查找主导请求模块基于优先权加权时间表确定要分配给每个存储请求的优先级。 主导请求被允许控制仲裁的多媒体资源。

公开(公告)号：EP1142306A1

公开(公告)日：2001-10-10

申请号：EP99963104.7

申请日：1999-12-17

申请人： PowerTV, Inc.

发明人： ASPROMONTE, Bill, J. ,  STALKER, Altan, J.

IPC分类号： H04N5/00 ,  G06F13/10

CPC分类号： H04N21/443

摘要： A stream device management system is provided for supporting applications that access a variety of stream devices associated with a conventional set-top box. More specifically, the stream device management system includes a stream manager configured to identify a plurality of stream devices and to store a device identifier for each of these stream devices, and a shared memory for storing stream data associated with each of the stream devices. To initiate communication with a first stream device, a first application sends a device identifier indicative of the first stream device to the stream manager. In response to receiving the device identifier, the stream manager communicates an address for the shared memory associated with the first stream device to the first application. Lastly, the application uses this address to access the stream data.

公开(公告)号：EP1142201A1

公开(公告)日：2001-10-10

申请号：EP99965245.6

申请日：1999-12-13

申请人： PowerTV, Inc.

发明人： ASPROMONTE, Bill, J. ,  SPRAGUE, Jeffrey, R.

IPC分类号： H04L12/24

CPC分类号： H04L41/0213 ,  H04L41/046

摘要： A network management system is provided for communicating network management information between a managing network device and a managed network device interconnected by a network device. The network management system includes a manager for monitoring and managing network management information across the network, where the manager resides on the managing network device, and a management module for responding to requests for network management information from the manager, where the management agent resides on the managed network device. A first application registers at least one function with the management module; whereby the function provides access to network management information associated with said first application. In response to a request from the manager, the management module through the use of the function is capable of providing the manager access to network management information associated with the first application.

公开(公告)号：EP1142173A2

公开(公告)日：2001-10-10

申请号：EP99965315.7

申请日：1999-12-17

申请人： PowerTV, Inc.

发明人： STALKER, Altan, J.

IPC分类号： H04H1/00 ,  H04N7/16

CPC分类号： H04N21/435 ,  H04H20/16 ,  H04H60/46 ,  H04H60/65 ,  H04N21/235 ,  H04N21/4349 ,  H04N21/4351 ,  H04N21/4508 ,  H04N21/454 ,  H04N21/8166

摘要： A broadcast data access system is provided for receiving broadcast data by applications residing on a multimedia client, where the broadcast data is a set of modules on a data carousel that are being broadcast over a broadcast network. The broadcast data access system includes an interest manager configured to store a plurality of interests, such that each interest identifies an available module on the data carousel being requested by an application. The system further includes at least one application having registered an interest for a first module with the interest manager, and a dispatcher distributing the first module to the requesting application by accessing the interest manager.

公开(公告)号：EP1395920A2

公开(公告)日：2004-03-10

申请号：EP01958919.1

申请日：2001-07-12

申请人： PowerTV, Inc.

发明人： TSO, Victor ,  KNITTEL, Brian

IPC分类号： G06F17/30

CPC分类号： G06F17/30902

摘要： A cache management system for a set top box that improves the loading speed of hypertext markup language (HTML) documents that are provided by web servers through a distributed communications system. The cache management system includes a set top box with a processor and memory that includes cache. A plurality of HTML documents stored in the cache. A cache manager manages the cache and calculates a removal factor for each of the HTML documents. The cache manager removes at least one of the HTML documents based on its removal factor until sufficient room is available for an additional HTML document when a user requests access to the additional HTML document and insufficient cache is available to store the additional HTML document. A table is accessible by the cache manager and is stored in memory of the set top box. The HTML documents are arranged in an ordered list in the table based on the removal factors. The cache manager employs hysteresis when removing the HTML documents from the cache to create room for the additional HTML document when the user requests access to the additional HTML document and insufficient cache is available to store the additional HTML document. The cache manager provides hysteresis by continuing to remove the HTML documents until a predetermined extra amount of the cache is available. The cache manager also continues to remove the HTML documents until available system memory is above a breathing room threshold. The cache manager keeps the maximum number of relevant web pages in cache to maximize loading speed.