text:
Providing Video Content to a Subscriber While Minimizing Transmission Channel Capacity
A method for providing video content to a subscriber while minimizing transmission channel capacity that includes acquiring information corresponding to factors contributing to a perceived picture quality at a display device in communication with a set-top box, compressing video content based on the acquired information, and transmitting over a local loop the compressed video content at a bit rate based on the acquired information, the bit rate corresponding to the perceived picture quality of the video content capable of being provided by an ensemble comprised of the display device, the set-top box, and the local loop.
Mcdonald, James F. (Atlanta, GA, US)
Avila, Luis (Suwanee, GA, US)
Rodriguez, Arturo A. (Norcross, GA, US)
Wall, William E. (Atlanta, GA, US)
348/E7.071, 725/131
H04N7/173
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PENG, HSIUNGFEI
MERCHANT & GOULD P.C. - CISCO (CISCO Technology, Inc. P.O. BOX 2903, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 55402-0903, US)
1. A method for providing video content to a subscriber while minimizing transmission channel capacity, comprising the steps of: acquiring information corresponding to factors contributing to a perceived picture quality at a display device in communication with a set-top box; compressing video content based on the acquired information; and transmitting over a local loop the compressed video content at a bit rate based on the acquired information, the bit rate corresponding to the perceived picture quality of the video content capable of being provided by an ensemble comprised of the display device, the set-top box, and the local loop.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the factors include inherent characteristics of the video content, wherein the inherent characteristics include a native scan format of the video content prior to compression.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the factors include compression characteristics, the compression characteristics including one or more of spatial resolution, picture rate, amount of compression, and whether the video content is compressed based on an interlaced or progressive scan format.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the factors include characteristics of the display device, the characteristics of the display device including one or more of picture rendering capabilities, physical dimensions of a screen corresponding to the display device, shape of the screen, and type of the display device.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the picture rendering capabilities include one or more of native display resolution, output picture rate, aspect ratio of the screen, and whether pictures are displayed in interlace or progressive picture format.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the type of the display device comprises one or more of cathode ray tube (CRT), plasma, liquid crystal diode (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS), nanotube, rear projection, front projection, and optical processing.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the factors include set-top box characteristics, the set-top box characteristics including one or more of a decoding specification capability, and set-top box resources.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the decoding specification capability includes an indication of whether the set-top box can decode the video content coded according to a first video coding specification or a second video coding specification, and wherein the set-top box resources include one or more of amount of memory, amount of memory bus bandwidth, required memory speed, amount of processing throughput, and processing speed.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the factors include local loop characteristics, the local loop characteristics including an indication of maximum bit rate for real-time transmission.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on characteristics of the display device and the set-top box.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on characteristics of the display device, the set-top box, and inherent characteristics of the video content.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on characteristics of the display device and the local loop.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on characteristics of the display device, the set-top box, and the local loop.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on characteristics of the display device, the set-top box, inherent characteristics of the video content, and the local loop.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on characteristics of the display device, inherent characteristics of the video content, and the local loop.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on characteristics of the set-top box and the local loop.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on characteristics of the set-top box, inherent characteristics of the video content, and the local loop.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing and the corresponding bit rate are based on inherent characteristics of the video content and the local loop.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the information comprises one of acquiring information from a local database and acquiring information from the set-top box.
20. A system for providing video content to a subscriber while minimizing transmission channel capacity, comprising: a server communicatively coupled to a set-top box over a local loop, the server configured to: acquire information corresponding to factors contributing to a perceived picture quality at a display device in communication with the set-top box; compress video content based on the acquired information; and transmit over a local loop the compressed video content at a bit rate based on the acquired information, the bit rate corresponding to the perceived picture quality of the video content capable of being provided by an ensemble comprised of the set-top box, a display device in communication with the set-top box, and the local loop, wherein the compression and the corresponding bit rate are based on the acquired information including one or more of characteristics of the display device, the set-top box, inherent characteristics of the video content, and the local loop.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of copending U.S. Utility application entitled, "Optimizing Bandwidth Utilization to a Subscriber Premises," having Ser. No. 11/162,345, filed Sep. 7, 2005, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to IP television and bandwidth management. More particularly, the present invention relates to individualizing the video data rate for a particular television.
The advent of higher-bandwidth Internet services over existing communication networks has created an alternative method to deliver video programming. However, Internet Protocol, or IP, based digital video distribution is capable of utilizing network infrastructures other than those used by the traditional Internet services. IP video or IP television (IPTV) is the transmission of television signals (digital video and audio) through data networks such as, for example, DSL, cable modem or wireless broadband.
Delivering video over IP is bandwidth intensive and, therefore, bandwidth to the home is a precious commodity due to the fact that broadband-quality video consumes a significant portion of a communication channel's data transmission capacity. IPTV services may be on a subscription basis paid for by the recipient for access to the network and requires an IP set-top box and an associated display device or TV within a subscriber premises, rather than a conventional cable television (CATV) set-top box. In order to retain customers, network access providers such as telephone companies may wish to provide IPTV over their existing infrastructure. This requires that they evolve their network.
When accessing a network such as the Internet, for example, a subscriber might connect through a high speed connection, such as Digital Subscriber Link, or DSL, that uses the same pair of copper wires as a regular telephone line. The pair of copper wires is capable of carrying a much greater bandwidth than what is typically demanded for voice. To use DSL, there is a DSL modem or transceiver at the subscriber's location. There is also a DSL Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) to receive subscriber connections at the location of the DSL service provider such as an Internet service provider or a telephone company. The DSLAM aggregates the subscriber connections onto a single high-capacity connection to the Internet. One way for a telephone company to provide DSL service is to have a DSLAM at its central office.
Also, many network operators oversubscribe the bandwidth on their network to maximize the return on investment in their network infrastructure. Oversubscribing bandwidth means the bandwidth a user subscribes to is not always available to them. Subscribers compete for available bandwidth and they receive more or less bandwidth depending on the amount of traffic from other subscribers on the network at any given time. When a network becomes increasingly congested, packets are dropped. Therefore, audio and video becomes corrupt due to packets being dropped when a link to a subscriber is oversubscribed.
Because there is never enough bandwidth, the traditional solution of the DSL service providers is to increase transmission line throughput, such as with equipment of significant cost, or reduce the bit-rate per channel for better encoding. However, services delivered to the home must be perceived to be of high quality and, thus, bit-rate reduction may not always be a suitable alternative. Therefore, in order to improve their video system, there is a need to intelligently manage and optimize the data rate for video services across a broadband connection such as DSL. In particular, individualized link bandwidth allocation is needed to manage and optimize bandwidth.
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an xDSL communications network having a plurality of subscriber premises in communications with a central office over a local loop.
FIG. 2 illustrates a screen-shot of a graphical user interface screen depicting a selectable item.
FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of implementing individualized bandwidth allocation according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates a video system capable of providing discrete resolutions and data rates according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of managed resources to a client according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates a process for optimizing bandwidth utilization when commencing a video session according to one embodiment of the present invention.
The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, the embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The present invention is described more fully hereinbelow.
Throughout this specification, the transmission of a television signal, television program, or video program (e.g., a movie), are used interchangeably and refers to the transmission of a corresponding set of one or more streams that make up the television program or movie, such as a compressed digital video stream, a compressed digital audio stream, associated data streams, and/or an associated media stream.
Throughout this specification, the amount of bandwidth consumption refers to the amount of consumption in a transmission channel's capacity. Data rate and bit-rate have analogous meaning and refer to the amount of channel capacity consumption or bandwidth consumption.
FIG. 1 illustrates a broadband communications network 10, such as an xDSL communication network, having at least one subscriber premises 12 which communicates with a central office 14 through a local loop 16. Other types of broadband networks which support IP-based digital distribution such as fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) are within the scope of the present invention. The communications network 10 can provide xDSL communications in the xDSL band frequency while conventional communications take place over the voice band frequency. The local loop 16 includes the communication network of the plain old telephone system (POTS). The subscriber premise 12 includes at least one or more home communications terminals with IP/xDSL capability that may be commonly referred to as an entertainment server or a set-top box (STB) 20. FIG. 1 depicts only one subscriber premises 12 having only one STB 20 as a matter of convenience. Each STB 20 in each subscriber premises may be coupled to or integrated into a corresponding display device such as a standard or high definition television which is capable of xDSL communication with an internal or external xDSL modem.
The subscriber premises 10 may also include voice equipment 24 such as conventional telephones and fax machines that communicate using the voice channel. In one embodiment, each STB 20, voice equipment 24, and personal computer 28 is coupled to a splitter 26 which separates communications over the local loop 16 into a digital channel and a voice channel. Preferably, transmission priority is given to media or video data destined to be processed by the STB 20 rather than data destined to be processed by the personal computer 28. Also, real-time service to one device requiring real-time media processing should have priority over a non-real-time service to another device.
The central office 14 includes a splitter 30 to direct communications over the voice channel to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 34 and to direct digital communications to a broadband network 36. A DSLAM 40, usually located at the central office 14, aggregates the incoming digital signals from the subscribers and de-multiplexes them. The DSLAM 40 transfers the aggregated communications to the public broadband network 36. However, the DSLAM 40 may be distributed into the public network 36.
At the subscriber premises 12, each STB 20 is coupled to a display device such as a standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD) television with a respective characteristic or set of characteristics. For a given digital video coding specification or video coding algorithm, the perceived picture fidelity, often referred to as perceived video quality, depends on several factors. A first set of factors influencing perceived picture quality is the inherent characteristics exhibited in the information of the video itself. Video being a sequence of pictures, such as those imaged by a video camera or scanned from film, exhibits information complexity that depends on the content of the imaged scene, including the motion of objects in the scene, the "speed of" and the "amount of" magnification exercised on the scene through the video or film generation process, the scene's lighting, and the spatial properties of the imaged objects in the scene, such as their respective textures, colors and shapes. Included in the inherent video characteristics is the native scan format of the video's pictures: either progressive or interlaced.
A second set of factors attributing to the perceived picture fidelity of video is a result of how the sequence of digitized pictures is compressed while exercising the video coding algorithm. The perceived picture quality is dependent on the spatial picture resolution and picture rate used in encoding the pictures, and the amount of compression effected by the video coding algorithm. In particular, the second set of factors' influence on perceived picture quality is directly correlated to the bit-rate of the compressed video. In one embodiment of the invention, the compression characteristics of the video include whether the video is compressed as a sequence of pictures in progressive scan format or interlaced scan format.
A third set of factors influencing the perceived video quality concerns the characteristics of the display device or television in which the video is displayed. A display device's characteristics include its picture rendering capabilities, the physical dimension characteristics of its screen, and its type of display. Picture rendering capabilities include the native spatial screen resolution, often called the native display resolution, in which the display device processes the information in the pictures to be displayed and emits or outputs them as visible light; the "displayed or output picture rate;" the aspect ratio of the physical screen or visual spatial area (e.g., 16:9 or 4:3), and whether the sequence of pictures are displayed in progressive or interlaced picture format.
A display device's picture rendering capabilities includes the real-time processing of the sequence of input pictures, for example, as provided real-time by STB 20 in decompressed form through a standardized physical interface that couples STB 20 and the display device, to systematically convert the sequence of input pictures to visible light according to its display characteristics. That is, the display device processes the sequence of input pictures to convert them spatially and temporally to its internal native display resolution, its output picture rate, its aspect ratio, and if necessary, to its native displayed picture format.
The physical screen is the surface where the information of each picture is effected into light for viewing by a subscriber. The physical screen's dimension and its shape (e.g., flat or elliptical) influences the suitable viewer's position and distance from the screen.
The type of display is characterized by one of the several technologies employed in its design for emitting the pictures corresponding to video or television signals as visible light. Display types include a cathode-ray tube (CRT) device, a plasma technology display, a liquid-crystal display (LCD), a digital light projection (DLP) display, liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) technology, a display device based on nanotubes technology, a rear or front projection device based on internal processing of light, a display device incorporating optical processing mechanisms, or any combination of these technologies.
A fourth set of factors influencing the perceived picture quality of video concerns the characteristics (of STB 20). Video is compressed according to the syntax and semantics of a particular video coding specification and transmitted to STB 20. Without any limitation to the invention, examples of video coding specifications include: "ISO/IEC 13818-2:2000(E), Information technology—Generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information: Video (second edition)," and "ISO/IEC 14496-10 AVC: Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual services (2003)."
Compressed pictures are decompressed by a video decompression engine or video decoder in STB 20 to counter the effects of the video compression algorithm on the compressed sequence of pictures and to reconstruct the pictures into displayable form. One or more two-dimensional arrays of picture elements or pixels correspond to the spatial resolution of a picture in displayable form. Reconstruction of a picture after its decompression typically results in storing its corresponding one or more two-dimensional arrays in a memory in STB 20 until the picture is displayed or until its information is no longer required for performing decompression and reconstruction of additional compressed pictures.
The characteristics of STB 20 may comprise the amount of resources it possesses or its capabilities to perform decompression for one or more of a plurality of digital video coding specifications (or video compression algorithms). For instance, a first STB 20 may possess limited amount of resources and be capable of decoding a first compressed video stream corresponding to a first instance of a first video program but incapable of decoding a second compressed video stream corresponding to a second instance of the first video program.
In one embodiment, the first compressed video stream requires less computational resources in performing video decompression on the first compressed video stream than on performing decompression on the second compressed video stream. The amount of resources required to decompress a video compressed according to a particular video coding specification may correspond to: an amount of memory, an amount of memory bus bandwidth (or memory bus access), a required memory speed, an amount or quantity of throughput or processing, a processor's speed or computational capability, a digital signal processor's speed or computational capability, a media processor's speed or computational capability, or a processor with the capability to perform one or more specific types of computations or instructions. As a non-limiting example, the amount of resources required to decompress a compressed video may correspond to STB 20 possessing capabilities to perform one or more real-time video processing operations on picture data.
In an alternate embodiment, the first compressed video stream corresponds to one compressed according to the syntax and semantics of a first digital video coding specification and the second compressed video stream corresponds to one compressed according to the syntax and semantics of a second digital video coding specification. For instance, the first video coding specification may correspond to ISO/IEC 13818-2:2000 and the second coding specification to ISO/IEC 14496-10 AVC.
A fifth set of factors influencing the perceived picture quality of video concerns characteristics of local loop 16. Loop characteristics are known a priori and convey the maximum bit-rate for real-time transmission of a video program to a subscriber. Furthermore, the loop characteristics may change depending on the number from a plurality of subscribers being serviced by a first local loop that are simultaneously requesting or viewing video programs. STB 20 has a unique identification that allows a message to be transmitted to VHO 30 to communicate information pertaining to the characteristics of STB 20, the characteristics of the first local loop 16 coupling STB 20 to the VHO 330, and the characteristics of the display device coupled to STB 20.
The perceived picture quality by the subscriber is dependent on the combined effect of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth sets of factors on the video. In alternate embodiments, one or more of the sets of factors, or portions thereof, may not contribute to the perceived picture quality.
The novel methods and systems described herein control, manage and optimize the transmission of a video program in compressed form to STB 20 by minimizing the consumption of the transmission channel's capacity. Specifically, the real-time transmission of the compressed video program is managed by lowering the bit-rate of the compressed video program to a level that does not degrade the perceived picture quality of the video beyond from what is capable of being provided by the display device coupled to STB 20, local loop 16, and/or by the processing capabilities of STB 20. The objective of the invention is to tailor the transmission of a video program to STB 20 as an individualized transmission, not wasting bandwidth unnecessarily. The video program is transmitted real-time in a sufficiently low bit-rate that provides at least the best perceived picture quality being capable of being provided or resolved by the ensemble comprised by the display device coupled to STB 20, local loop 16 and STB 20. Accordingly, the best perceived picture quality being capable of being provided or resolved is determined at VHO 330 from information related to the characteristics of the display device, STB 20, and/or local loop 16. Information related to one or more of these three different characteristics are either known at central office 14, VHO 330, or VSO 320, ahead of time or transmitted in one or more messages from STB 20 to a central office 14, VHO 330, or VSO 320 to manage the bit-rate in delivery of video programs to STB 20.
In a first embodiment, according to the characteristic or set of characteristics of a first display device coupled to a first STB 20, a first instance of a first video program is transmitted to the first STB 20. The first instance of the first video program exhibits one or more compression characteristics corresponding to one or more characteristics of the first display device. In particular, the compression characteristics of the first instance of the first video program are such that the spatial picture resolution, picture rate, or picture scan format, or any combination thereof, are modified from their corresponding original form at the time the video was created or imaged, in order to reduce the amount of information that must be compressed and transmitted to STB 20. The result is that the first instance of the first video program exhibits an increased amount of compression, or, equivalently, a lower bit-rate in its real-time transmission. However, the amount of modification of one or more video parameters in a compressed video from their corresponding original values at the time the video was imaged is according to the perceived picture quality that is capable of being provided by the display device, which in turn is dependent on the display device's characteristics. As a non-limiting example, an HD video program that was originally imaged at a 1920×1080 picture resolution may be compressed as a first compressed video stream or first instance, in which each picture is first reduced to a lower spatial resolution (e.g., 1440×1080) using signal processing methods, filters, and/or sample rate converters, and a second compressed video stream or second instance is compressed in its original spatial resolution (1920×1080).
As a non-limiting example, a first display device's characteristics may exhibit a native display resolution of 1280×1024. Upon or prior to receiving a request for viewing an HD video program, information corresponding to the display device coupled to STB 20 is transmitted by the STB 20 to VSO 320 or VHO 330, as shown in FIG. 3. Responsive to receiving the information corresponding to the display device, one or more computing devices cause retrieval of the display device's characteristics as necessary, if not already contained in the transmitted information or message from STB 20. The transmission of the first video program is effected by transmitting an instance of the requested HD video program as a compressed video stream in which compressed pictures have a spatial resolution that is lower than 1920×1080, resulting in a lower bit-rate. However, in order to match the perceived image quality capable of being provided by the display device, the first instance of the first video program has a spatial resolution in compressed form that is equal to 1280×1024, or one from a plurality of predetermined spatial resolution larger than or equal to 1280×1024 but smaller than 1920×1080. Alternatively, one from a plurality of compressed versions or instances of the first video program, each exhibiting a respective set of compression characteristics that is different from the others, is determined a priori to be the best match for the first display device according to the first display device's characteristics. Accordingly, real-time transmission of the first video program to STB 20 is effected with a compressed version or instance that was determined a priori to possess the best set of compression characteristics to match the first display device's capabilities while simultaneously resulting in a lower bit-rate.
As another non-limiting example, a first display device's characteristics may display pictures in an interlaced format, often called an interlaced display. Upon or prior to receiving a request for viewing a first video program that was natively imaged as progressive pictures at frame rates equal to or superseding the field rate of the first display device. For instance, the first video program may be a natively imaged program of 1280×720 (or 1920×1080) spatial resolution and 60 frames per second, whereas the first display device outputs pictures as interlaced pictures (or fields) at 60 Hertz. Information corresponding to the first display device coupled to STB 20 is transmitted by the STB 20 to VHO 330 or VSO 320, as previously described. The transmission of the first video program is effected by transmitting an instance of the requested video program as a compressed video stream in which compressed pictures are indicated as interlaced and having a total number of picture elements that is half of the native format of the first video program. Consequently, the bit-rate is significantly reduced from the compressed version of the first video program containing all the pixels of the native pictures in progressive format. Alternatively, one from a plurality of compressed versions or instances of the first video program, each exhibiting a respective set of compression characteristics that is different from the others, is determined a priori to be the best match for the first display device according to the first display device's rendering of interlaced pictures. Accordingly, real-time transmission of the first video program to STB 20 is effected with a compressed version or instance that was determined a priori to possess a best format of interlaced compressed pictures that match the first display device's interlaced rendering capabilities while simultaneously resulting in a lower bit-rate.
In an alternate embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 according to the first display device's characteristics and according to the characteristics of STB 20. For instance, if STB 20 is capable of receiving a compressed video stream corresponding to a second video specification that provides superior compression in comparison to a first video coding specification, the first video program is transmitted to STB 20 as a compressed version that matches the first display device's characteristics and according to the syntax and semantics of the second video specification. On the other hand, if STB 20 is capable of decompressing compressed video streams corresponding to the first video specification, the transmitted video stream is one that matches the first display device's characteristics and according to the syntax and semantics of the first video specification.
In yet another embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 in accordance with the first display device's characteristics, the characteristics of STB 20, and the inherent video characteristics of the first video program.
In yet another embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 in accordance with the first display device's characteristics and the characteristics of local loop 16.
In yet another embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 in accordance with the first display device's characteristics, the characteristics of STB 20, and the characteristics of local loop 16.
In yet another embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 in accordance with the first display device's characteristics, the characteristics of STB 20, the inherent video characteristics of the first video program, and the characteristics of local loop 16.
In yet another embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 in accordance with the first display device's characteristics, the inherent video characteristics of the first video program, and the characteristics of local loop 16.
In yet another embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 in accordance with the characteristics of STB 20 and the characteristics of local loop 16.
In yet another embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 in accordance with the characteristics of STB 20, the inherent video characteristics of the first video program, and the characteristics of local loop 16.
In yet another embodiment, a compressed version of the first video program is selected for transmission to STB 20 in accordance with the inherent video characteristics of the first video program and the characteristics of local loop 16.
In a second embodiment, a first display device is coupled to a first STB 20 and a second display device is coupled to a second STB 20 (not shown). The first STB 20 is coupled to a first loop 16 and second STB 20 is coupled to a second loop 16. A first request for the first video program (e.g., effected by a television channel change or as a movie purchase) is generated from the first STB 20 and a second request for the first video program is generated from the second STB 20. Responsive to the first request for the first video program, a first instance of the first video program is transmitted to the first STB 20 and responsive to the second request for the first video program, a second instance of the first video program is transmitted to the second STB 20, the compression characteristics of the first instance of the first video program in compressed form being different than the compression characteristics of the second instance of the first video program in compressed form. The compression characteristics of the first instance of the first video program in compressed form are determined according to information transmitted from the first STB 20, or known ahead of time, and according to one or more of the first display device's characteristics, the characteristics of the first local loop 16, the characteristics of the first STB 20, and the inherent video characteristics of the first video program. The compression characteristics of the second instance of the first video program in compressed form are determined according to information transmitted from the second STB 20 and according to one or more of the second display device's characteristics, the characteristics of the second local loop, the characteristics of the second STB 20, and the inherent video characteristics of the first video program.
In a third embodiment, the first and second instance of the first video program in compressed form differ only when transmitting the first video program, or any portions thereof, simultaneously in real-time to the first STB 20 and the second STB 20.
In a fourth embodiment, the first and second instance of the first video program in compressed form do not differ when transmitting the first video program, or any portions thereof, simultaneously in real-time to the first STB 20 and the second STB 20. The compression characteristics of the common instance of the first video program in compressed form are determined according to information transmitted from the first STB 20 and the second STB 20 and according to one or more of the first display device's characteristics, the characteristics of the first STB 20, the second display device's characteristics, the characteristics of the second STB 20, and the inherent video characteristics of the first video program.
In a fifth embodiment, a first display device coupled to a first STB 20 possesses capabilities for displaying pictures only in a progressive scan format and the first video program possesses a native interlaced picture scan format. The first instance of the first video program in compressed form is such that the native interlaced pictures are first deinterlaced prior to compression and compressed as progressive pictures according to one from possibly several video coding specifications. The de-interlaced method performed in the interlaced pictures is performed a priori to match one or more compression versions or instances of the first program to display devices that render in a native progressive picture format. Given the low cost nature of consumer electronic devices like televisions and display devices, their built-in de-interlacing mechanisms are often compromised. By employing a superior de-interlacing mechanism, one that is not cost nor resources constrained, compression of pictures is effected on the deinterlaced version of the interlaced pictures.
In a sixth embodiment, the first STB 16 and the second STB 16 are coupled to the first local loop 16. In accordance to the characteristics of the first local loop 16, the first instance of the first video program in compressed form is transmitted to the first STB 20 as a third instance of the first video program when the first video program, or any portions thereof, is transmitted in real-time to the first STB 20 simultaneously with the transmission of any video program in compressed form to the second STB 20. The bit-rate and compression characteristics of the third instance of the first video program in compressed form differ from the bit-rate and compression characteristics of the first instance of the first video program in compressed form. The first instance of the first video program in compressed form is employed for real-time transmission to the first STB 20 only when the first video program, or parts thereof, is not being transmitted in real-time to the first STB 20 simultaneously with the transmission of any video program in compressed form to the second STB 20.
As a non-limiting example of how the display characteristics affect perceived picture quality, as the native display resolution and/or the display device's physical screen dimension decreases, the video resolution required to maintain constant video quality as perceived by the subscriber is also reduced. Therefore, the digital data rate to maintain a perception of a video picture quality that is consistent with a lower picture quality induced by the display device coupled to STB 20 is controlled according to the display device's characteristics. A lower bit rate for a video program is thus attainable by transmitting a video program to STB 20 at a decreased bit-rate, for instance, obtained by encoding the picture at a lower spatial resolution or frame rate that is consistent with the particular display device's characteristics. The bit-rate of a video program decreases as the television's picture quality capability decreases. This relationship applies for both SD and HD video.
Some STBs, such as Scientific-Atlanta's HD set-tops, query television display attributes. Information relating to the type of display and resolution of the display are stored in the STB connected to the television. At the time of the installation of the STB, the type of display, such as SD, HD, or other, one or more display characteristics and the size of the display can be required to be entered into the STB. As a non-limiting example, a display characteristic can be a display's manufacturer, display model number, manufacturer's product serial number, or product series. The type of display can also be entered, being for example a plasma, CRT, LCD, LCos, DLP, front projection, rear projection, or other, or any combination of theses. FIG. 2 illustrates a screen-shot of one example of a graphical user interface screen depicting the type of television as a selectable item as part of the discovery setup of the STB such as the discovery system and method described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/761,777, titled "Interactive Discovery of Display Device Characteristics", filed Jan. 21, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference. In one embodiment, buttons on the remote control can be used to highlight and select whether the television is SD or HD. Other attributes which may be queried may include the television's model number or aspect ratio. This information can be used to determine display resolution. Alternatively, the display attributes or characteristics can be queried directly from the STB. With the appropriate information stored in each STB, an identifying tag related to the display screen size can be used each time a request is made to provide programming.
However, the required digital data rate to maintain a perception of constant video picture quality by the subscriber is also dependent on the type of content received at the television. For example, sports events require a higher digital data rate than do movies because of differences in the amount of motion and detail between the two types of content. News programs have lower detail and motion than sports events and, therefore, allow lower digital data rates for video than for sports events in order to have similar perception of video picture quality. One embodiment which may be utilized to ascertain the type of content currently being viewed is to utilize metadata associated with the content that was created for distinguishing types of content. This metadata may be manually coded and associated with each particular program instance by the local operator or by the programmer.
FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention for implementing individualized link bandwidth allocation. First, the STB 20 initiates the discovery process to provide the display attributes of the display 310 to a video serving office (VSO) 320 of the central office 14 that typically includes video transport equipment. In particular, the monitor or television type as well as the model number could be provided as shown on branch 322. A video hub office (VHO) 330, typically separate from the central office 14, includes a database 340 which receives the television type and model number as input. Alternatively, the identifying tag related to the display screen size and one or more display characteristics of a particular link, stored in database 340 can be used each time a request is made to provide programming. Also, the metadata corresponding with a requested program instance may also be forwarded to the VSO 320 and VHO 330. From the database 340, the link bandwidth for the specific display 310 and/or the currently viewed program instance is configured as shown in block 350. Branch 360 depicts a video/VoIP/data link back to the STB 20 which is tailored to the display 310. Because a link is tailored to a display associated with each STB, a particular program instance may be viewed on different size displays at different rates while maintaining a constant video quality perception.
Recently new functionality has been added to conventional STTs—namely the ability to record an incoming video stream in digitized form onto a mass storage device, such as a hard disk drive, and play back that recorded video as desired by the user. This functionality has become known as a "digital video recorder" (DVR) or personal video recorder (PVR) and is viewed as a superior alternative to conventional video tape recorders for capture and subsequent playback of programming content. DVR settops allow a subscriber to view recorded video rather than view real-time video.
Simultaneous viewing and recording of the same video content may not happen frequently. If a DVR settop is being used, logic within the DVR settop can be used to determine if incoming video signals are being recorded, but not being simultaneously viewed. The data rate for storing material on a hard drive that is not simultaneously being viewed can be reduced below the real-time rate to reduce the traffic load to that subscriber. Although the time to complete storage of a given program will then be lengthened, the playback rate can be in real-time and the desired video resolution can be preserved. Therefore, non-real-time recording at lower data rates optimizes the overall data rate to each subscriber. DVR capability is another characteristic communicated by STB 20 to the VSO 320 or the VHO 330, for example, for attaining bandwidth management.
FIG. 4 illustrates a video system 400 capable of providing several discrete resolutions and data rates. The video system 400 includes video encoders 410 for receiving content 412. Encoders 410 convert the content 412 into multiple resolutions and bit rates. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, encoders 410 generate high resolution HD and enhanced-resolution HD streams 420 and 422, respectively, and medium resolution SD and low resolution SD streams 424 and 426, respectively. Video steams 420, 422, 424, and 426 are multicast across the broadband network 36 to the DSLAM 40. In one embodiment, the video system 400 may be configured to include digital content managers (DCMs) as part of the network 36. Each DCM is a specialized hardware based server for video content management that provides transrating for each DSL link which is the ability to dynamically recode the video to lower data rates. Each DCM also provides multiplexing and encryption for each DSL link.
The video system 400 also includes a system resource manager (SRM) 450 which may be implemented at a server of the VSO 320, VHO 330, or distributed in the network 36. The SRM 450 includes a map to identify each STB which is periodically updated so that the SRM 450 can track the bandwidth utilization on each of the DSL links to each of the subscribers. The SRM 450 allocates bandwidth preferably based on rules defined at a policy server at the central office 14 in order to prevent the DSL link from being oversubscribed. These rules are preferably based at least in part on allotted bandwidth per subscriber, display screen sizes, and content type. For example, the bandwidth per client may be managed as shown in FIG. 5.
The SRM 450 manages bandwidth allocation to a plurality of subscribers by utilizing opportunistic bandwidth to preclude oversubscription. For example, the SRM 450 tracks bandwidth utilization on multiple links to one or more subscribers and selects data rates on one or more of the links that optimizes the bandwidth to each of the subscribers. The bandwidth to a subscriber may be optimized by reducing a data rate on one or more links to that subscriber to allow the total bandwidth to that subscriber to be maintained at a desired amount or to allow an increased data rate to one or more other links to that subscriber. In another embodiment, the SRM 450 may detect that packets are being dropped to one or more subscribers along one or more links. In such case, the SRM 450 may select a data rate to meet the available bandwidth to the subscriber. For example, the SRM 450 may select a reduced data rate along the one link having the dropped packets or alternatively select a reduced rate along another link to the same subscriber.
Also, in order to optimize bandwidth, when the STB 20 requests a video service, the display type of the display coupled to the STB 20 requesting service is reported by the STB 20 along its link, or retrieved from storage at the central office 14, along with the DSL link identification, to the SRM 450. Therefore, the SRM 450 selects the optimum data rate stream for that particular display type that meets the available bandwidth. Because a link may be tailored to a particular display associated with each STB, the data rate to the display may be reduced to permit a higher data rate along another link to the subscriber that meets available bandwidth to that subscriber. Also, because a non-real-time stream may be used to reduce the traffic load, another link may utilize a higher data rate that meets available bandwidth requirements.
Scheduled DVR recordings may use an elastic buffer in the network 36 and use opportunistic bandwidth. FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a process 600 of the present invention for optimizing bandwidth utilization when a video session is initiated by a DVR capable device. The process 600 begins at decision block 610 where it is determined whether a particular stream is being watched live by the subscriber or if it is being recorded. If the stream is being watched live, the content is streamed according to rules based upon the screen size and/or the type of content as shown in process block 620. On the other hand, if the stream is being recorded, but not being simultaneously watched, then a non-real-time file transfer is implemented utilizing a buffer of X minutes, rather than real-time streaming as shown in process block 630. As shown in process block 640, if the stream is not being viewed, transfer of the file is continued using only available excess bandwidth in the transmission line. However, as shown in decision block 650, the process 600 determines whether there is a request for a higher priority session while non-real-time file transfer is being implemented. If a higher priority session is requested, such as real-time viewing of a different video signal in HD, the file transfer may be slowed as shown in process block 660. See U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/590,521, titled Systems and Method for Adaptive Scheduling and Dynamic Bandwidth Resource Allocation Management in A Digital Broadband Delivery System, filed Jun. 9, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference. After the file transfer has been slowed as a result of the request for the higher priority session, or if the higher priority session has not been requested at all, the process 600 would continue to decision block 670 to determine whether the subscriber, if viewing content from the buffer, has caught up with the recorded content from the buffer. If the subscriber has caught up, the YES branch is followed back to process block 620 where the content is streamed according to the screen sizes. On the other hand, if subscriber has not yet caught up with the content from the buffer, then the process follows the NO branch back to process block 640 where the transfer is continued using only available excess bandwidth.
The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.
Previous Patent: Mapping Transport Streams
Next Patent: Optimizing Data Rates For Video Services to a Subscriber


Rules: The stories must be short stories. You may submit multiple entries, however they must be on different topics.
Payment: Accepted stories will receive $75.00 for their entry if it is accepted, as well as a percentage of the overall net sales on the story.
Submission Deadline: This project is ongoing and the deadline will be announced when more interest is garnered.
In this section, select the theme you're writing your story about, and describe a brief synopsis of the plot.


text:
EXPECTATIONS…. When you think about it, conservative activists haven't had to fight to destroy a Supreme Court nominee in several decades. Clinton had two nominees, and both were confirmed with minimal opposition. Carter didn't fill any vacancies. LBJ had two, and Republicans filibustered Abe Fortas' nomination to be Chief Justice in 1968, but that was over four decades ago, before the modern conservative movement even existed.
So, this is the first real test for the right in contemporary political times, and the various players are obviously gearing up for a knock-down, drag-out fight, which they are, incidentally, very likely to lose.
At this point, before Souter even formally announces his intentions and long before we know who the nominee is going to be, I'd like to offer my friends on the right some advice: lower your expectations.
Early front-runners for the bogeyman nod have cropped up: Darling mentioned Yale University Law School Dean Harold Koh, whom he called "very extreme." [Jay Sekulow, the prominent conservative lawyer who heads the American Center for Law & Justice] specifically called out 2nd Circuit Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, an early favorite for the nod, as "to the left of David Souter."
"This is not my ideal situation," said Kay Daly, president of the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary. "Obama could conceivably put a justice onto the bench that literally would make Souter look like [Associate Justice Antonin] Scalia."
Well, yes. Daly's misuse of the word "literally" notwithstanding, a progressive Democratic president, working with a large Democratic majority in the Senate, is likely to nominate a justice who would be "to the left" of a Republican nominee. That's how the game works. Democrats tend to nominate more liberal judges, Republicans tend to nominate conservative judges. It's not complicated. The issue came up repeatedly during the presidential campaign, and Obama won by a large margin anyway.
My point is, conservative activists seem to be all worked up, convinced that they're not going to like President Obama's choice. Guess what? They're not. And if somehow they manage to take down Obama's nominee, and the president picks someone else, they're going to hate his second choice, too.
"This is not my ideal situation," Daly said. You don't say. Since Daly's side lost and only has 40 votes in the Senate, I think that's an understatement. But, really, what do she and Sekulow expect to happen here?
Steve Benen
Steve Benen is a producer at MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show. He was the principal contributor to the Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog from August 2008 until January 2012.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


India is an amazing country that is full of colors, amazing food, and endless culture. However, in Indian culture there are certain things expected of women that may not be in the United States, such as modest dress and different social expectations. While at first I may have been confused on proper dress and etiquette followed by women in India, I knew that when traveling to a different country, it's important to be mindful and considerate of your host culture. It may be challenging to adapt to Indian culture as a woman at first, but with time, this can make your experience in the beautiful country even more enjoyable. Here are three tips on how women traveling India can navigate Indian culture.
In most of India, it's important to dress modestly. This means that your legs and shoulders are covered, and that your shirt is solid and long enough to cover below your waist. Most women living in India dress this way, and it will bring less attention to yourself, while being respectful of India's culture. You even can buy traditional Indian clothing such as Kurtas and Dupattas. The fabric of these garments is generally made for India's weather, and you'll be able to experience the culture in a more authentic way.
Communication with Men May Be Different than in the U.S.
When communicating with men in India, things that may seem simple and friendly to you may mean something else in Indian culture. For example, while it may be common to make eye contact and smile at men when passing by America this behavior may come off as flirty in India. That doesn't mean you have to be rude, but rather you may want to just want to nod your head with a straight face instead. Touching between different genders is also seen as flirtatious. So while you may be used to hugging your male friends back home, that may be taken the wrong way to your male friends in India.
Just as women experience in many countries, you may occasionally endure catcalling on the streets of India. You may avoid bringing attention to yourself by dressing modestly or by wearing traditional Indian clothing, but this will not completely prevent catcalling and other forms of sexual harassment. Usually, this can be harmless, but it's safe to carry a working cellphone with you in case of emergencies, and avoid walking places alone late at night. When being catcalled, the best way to react is to ignore it and to keep walking to your destination.
All of this information may seem overwhelming, but the IFSA-Butler staff does an excellent job of equipping women students traveling India through their programs with all the necessary resources and information. My resident director for The City, The River, The Sacred in Varanasi, India was extremely helpful in assisting us find appropriate clothing, understanding different cultural norms, and figuring out the best ways to be safe in India. If you're interested in traveling India and want to learn more about the difficulties of doing so, you can reach the program advisor for all IFSA-Butler programs in India, Kerry Springer. She did a wonderful job of making me feel prepared before my trip to India.
Don't let the challenge of traveling India as a woman keep you away. Though challenging, traveling in India has been extremely rewarding, and these tips have helped me experience the culture in a deeper way while also remaining respectful.
Grace Carson is a Journalism and Political Science major at the University of Denver and studied abroad with IFSA-Butler on The City, The River, The Sacred program in Varanasi, India in Fall 2017. She served as an International Correspondent through the IFSA-Butler Work-to-Study Program.


"Lobos" soldiers, assigned to 209th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB), 25th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), took the opportunity to go on a Duty Day with God led by Chaplain (Capt.) Tony Cech, battalion chaplain, 209th ASB, 25th CAB, to the Twin W.M. Keck Observatories on Mount Mauna Kea as a way to relax from training and provide a chance to talk with the chaplain. This 'Duty Day with God' helps reduce stress and serves another purpose for Cech.
While on this Pohakuloa Training Area rotation, the chaplain flew out to the training site and traveled to all the ranges and training events the soldiers were conducting. Visiting the Soldiers while conducting training gives the soldiers a chance to relax and reduce stress.
"After going on this trip with him, I found Chaplain Cech to be approachable and I would be comfortable going to him with any issues," said Spc. Francisco Asuncion, a motor transport operator, A Company, 209th ASB, 25th CAB.
The trips hosted by the chaplain are educational as well as a relaxing.
"For younger soldiers who come and train, the most they see is just the training environment. I get a chance to take them to see something else, to see the world. I wanted to take them up to the Keck Observatories on Mount Mauna Kea because it is a great spot to see and also give the soldiers a chance to see what educational opportunities are around the island," said Cech.
The Keck Observatories allow visitors on a daily basis and are near the summit of Mt. Mauna Kea, the highest point in the Pacific Basin at 13,796 feet.
"I thought that the trip to the observatory was amazing. The scenery was breathtaking, it was a great spot to see and visit," said Asuncion.
"I think that I [have developed] a closer relationship with [many of] the soldiers. I feel like they can come to me with any issue that they may have and look forward to helping them," said Cech.


William Glenn Mason, 92, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 6, 2011.
He retired after 42 years as a machinist at ALCOA; served in the Army National Guard; was a member of Central Baptist Church in Alcoa; and was a 68 year Master Mason of New Providence Lodge No. 128. As a true craftsman, he could design, build, or repair anything. He was a generous provider and protector. His sense of humor and playful mischief will long be remembered by all who knew him.
He left an amazing legacy of love, honor, and devotion as he cared for his wife of 68 years, Dorothy Mason, until her death ten days ago. Others who preceded him in death are his daughter, Glenda Mason Brown; and great-granddaughter Brooke Lafollette. He is survived by daughter, Betty Jane Burris and husband, Bill of Kingsport. Grandchildren include Melissa Lafollette and Jason Brown of Maryville; Bradford Burris of North Carolina; Blake Burris and Barton Burris of Johnson City. Great-grandchildren include Olivia Lafollette, Haley Brown, and Caleb Brown. His brother and sister are Lee Mason of Chattanooga and Louise Key of Knoxville.
Friends are invited to join the family at Grandview Cemetery for a 10:00 AM graveside service on Monday, August 8, 2011. Memorial contributions may be made to the building fund at Central Baptist Church Alcoa, 962 Springbrook Road, Alcoa, TN 37701. McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of William Mason, please visit our Tribute Store.


Kyusho Jitsu is the method of striking the body by targeting its anatomically weaker areas. This method involves the study of the body's anatomical structure and its underlying pressure points and the meridians they lay upon. It utilises the same points that an acupuncturist would use to balance the energies of the body.
The IMPACT Kyusho Jitsu Program is one of our popular extension programs for senior belts. It is run in tandem to regular Extreme or Challenge Programs.
The Kyusho Jitsu Program has its own syllabus, uniform and belts, and runs on separate days and times to other classes. This program is for members who want to progress as Martial Artists, learn more advanced Martial Arts knowledge or simply try something new.
We are affiliated with the national body for Kyusho Jitsu, Kyusho Jitsu Australia, and the peak international bodies, Kyusho Jitsu International Alliance (KIA) and Dillman Karate International (DKI). At the completion of this program, you will receive an internationally recognised Kyusho Jitsu Black Belt.
The logo symbolises the two universal forces of yin and yang that underpin all Martial Arts. The tiger and dragon represent the opposing forces, the 'hard' and 'soft' of combat. This includes mind and body, agility and power, attack and defense.
The Kyusho Jitsu Program starts from White Belt, so you do not need any prior knowledge – we will teach you all you need to know. The program will consist of students of varied Taekwondo ranks and there will be other students of your level.
The Kyusho Jitsu Program is not just about how you train but also about how you approach your training. It is where IMPACT's key belief of "try your hardest to be your best" really shows. A positive attitude and willingness to train hard are key indicators that you are ready for the Kyusho Jitsu Program.
As its own martial art, Kyusho has a different uniform and belt ranking system.
The uniforms are black and have the badges of the affiliated international bodies.


text:
Q: Не могу установить windows 11 вместо ubuntu 22.04 Acer aspire 7 A715-42G-R6VJ
У меня стоит ubuntu 22.04 и теперь я хочу поставить windows 11. я подготовил флешку но при включении зажимая клавиши fn + f9 или 12 ничего не происходит. при нажатии на клавишу esc выходит варианты между просто ubuntu и продвинутый ubuntu и ничего другого. образы windows скачивал с официального сайта и через torrent, устанавливал его через rufus, но ничего не получилось

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Wilhelm Filchner, född 13 september 1877, död 7 maj 1957, var en tysk forskningsresande.

Filchner red över Pamir 1900, och ledde 1903-1905 en expedition från Xining till östra Tibet och 1911-1912 den 2:a tyska sydpolarexpeditionen till Weddellhavet samt upptäckte Prins Luitpold-land, en fortsättning på Coats land. 1926-1928 företog han en ny expedition till Centralasien från Kuldja till Xining och genom östra Tibet till Leh. Bland Filchners arbeten märks Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Expedition Filchner nach China und Tibet (11 band och 6 kartbilagor 1906-1914), Zum sechsten Erdteil (1922), Hui-Hiu, Asiens Islamkämpfe (1928) och Om mani padme hum. Meine China- und Tibet-Expedition 1925-1928 (1929)

Filchner shelfisen som täcker delar av Weddellhavet är uppkallad efter honom.

Källor
 Svensk uppslagsbok. Malmö 1932.

Män
Födda 1877
Avlidna 1957
Tyska upptäcktsresande
Tibetologer
Personer från München

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


How Much Will Cloud Computing Contribute To Alibaba's Top-Line Growth?
Alibaba has been a high-growth stock in recent years, with all revenue streams contributing meaningfully to overall top line growth. Cloud Computing has been a key contributor to the company's revenue growth, with triple digit revenue increases in recent years. As a result, the contribution of Cloud Computing to Alibaba's net revenues has increased from 1.7% of net revenues in FY'15 to 5.4% in FY'18. Over the next couple of years, we forecast Cloud Computing revenues to increase at over 60% annually to $5.7 billion by FY'20. In the same period we expect Alibaba's net revenues to increase from $40 billion in FY'18 to almost $70 billion by FY'20. Consequently, the contribution of Cloud Computing should increase to over 8% of net revenues in the next couple of years. Accordingly, the segment is expected to contribute to around 12% of Alibaba's overall revenue growth in the same period.
Alibaba has a sizable presence in the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) market in China, with a nearly 48% share of the domestic market. In order to remain competitive with Amazon and Microsoft , Alibaba has invested heavily in cloud computing, which has started paying off handsomely in recent years. However, Alibaba still has a long way to go to grab the top spot in the IaaS market globally. According to Gartner, Alibaba's share in the global IaaS market is around 3% as compared to 7% for Microsoft and 44% for Amazon's AWS. Going forward, Alibaba intends to focus on international expansion. It recently added a new cloud data center in Indonesia, expanding its operations to 18 countries. We expect the company to sustain high growth in Cloud Computing in the coming years. We have summarized our expectations for Alibaba's Cloud Computing revenue growth through FY'19 and FY'20 on an interactive dashboard for Alibaba's Cloud Computing segment. Below we take a look at key revenue drivers for the cloud computing segment.
Alibaba has reported consistent triple digit revenue growth in its Cloud Computing segment in recent years. Revenues have roughly doubled every year from $468 million in FY'16 to $968 million in FY'17 and further to $2.1 billion in FY'18. Revenue growth was attributable to both an increase in the total number of paying customers for Alibaba's Cloud Computing offerings as well as the average revenue per customer. Alibaba reported a massive increase in the total number of paying customers from 263,000 in Q1'16 to 513,000 by Q4'16. This further increased to 874,000 by the end of Q4'17 and surpassed 1 million paying customers in June last year. It should be noted that we have taken an average of reported 4 quarters for annual average paying customers in our calculations. According to our estimates, the average annual paying customer count for FY'18 was around 1.2 million. We forecast this number to increase to 1.85 million by FY'20.
Similarly, the total spend per customer has increased from just under $1,270 in FY'16 to $1,350 in FY'17. This figure surged to almost $1,800 by FY'18, per Trefis estimates. We forecast this number to continue to increase rapidly to $2,600 through FY'19 and $3,000 in FY'20. As a result, we forecast total revenues from Cloud Computing to grow at a CAGR of 60-65% in the next couple of years. The growth rate is lower than the triple digit growth in recent years due to the large base factor. If you disagree with our forecasts, you can modify these figures on our interactive revenue contributor dashboard for Alibaba and come up with your own estimates.


text:
package dao

import utils.driver.pgSlickDriver.simple._
import models.AbstractEntity
import com.vividsolutions.jts.geom.{PrecisionModel, GeometryFactory}
import scala.slick.session.Session

/**
 * Common operations shared by all slick-based DAOs
 *
 * @author Piotr Jędruszuk <pjedruszuk@semantive.com>
 * @author Amadeusz Kosik <akosik@semantive.com>
 * @tparam T entity data type
 */
trait DAO[T <: AbstractEntity] {
  self: Table[T] =>

  def unique(query : Query[DAO[T] with Table[T], T])(implicit session: Session): Option[T] = {
    val list = query.list()
    if (list.size > 1) throw new NonUniqueResult("Non-unique object returned") else if (list.isEmpty) None else Some(list.head)
  }

  lazy val jtsGeometryFactory = new GeometryFactory(new PrecisionModel(), 4326)

  /**
   * Creates left join of features with translated names in given language.
   *  Very commonly used thus moved to it's own definition
   *
   * @param language  language of preferred names
   * @return          left join of (Feature, Option[Name translation]) tuple
   */
  private[dao] def joinFeaturesWithNames(language: String) =
    Features leftJoin (
      for { nt <- NameTranslations
            if nt.language === language &&
              nt.isOfficial === true
      } yield nt) on (_.geonameId === _.geonameId)  // FixMe: something went wrong here, although it still works...

  /**
   * Joins features with their translated names in given language.
   *
   * @param language  language of preferred names
   * @return          tuple of (Feature, Option[Name translation])
   */
  private[dao] def matchFeatureWithName(language: String) = {
    for {
      (f, n) <- joinFeaturesWithNames(language)
    } yield (f, n.name.?)
  }

  /**
   * Returns list of all items of given type.
   *  Use with caution since geoys operates on quire big amount of rows.
   *
   * @return list of all elements from the table
   */
  def listAll()(implicit session: Session)
    = (for (t <- self) yield t).list
}

class NonUniqueResult(message: String) extends RuntimeException(message)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Niels Bruynseels and Cas de Liberte won the Grand Prix in Liege. Photo (c) www.studforlife.com.
It was no easy task to win the CSI4* Grand Prix in Liege on Sunday afternoon, but somehow Niels Bruynseels managed to make it look a lot less difficult than what it actually was. The 1.60 competition was a tough conclusion to the show, which also staged a hard Grand Prix qualifier on Saturday night - and in the end only eight of the 48 riders made it to the jump-off in front of a huge crowd of spectators.
The thirteen-fence-first-round-track caused a lot of heartache, even for the best of the competitors. It was a line with a plank tight out of a turn as fence nine, followed by three forward strides to a huge oxer and then a short five strides to a black vertical that caused the most drama. The fact that the black vertical was placed towards a huge door of the same color made it hard to see for many of the horses, and plenty jumped more or less straight through it. Worst it was for Kevin Staut who parted ways with his horse at this fence. Also Kevin's team mate Patrice Delaveau had problems, and retired after a stop in the triple combination on Carinjo HDC (Cascavelle x Landgraf). The two were not alone in struggling, like on Saturday over half of the riders ended on a score of eight or worse.
Those who made clear rounds got celebrated properly though, and in the end it was set for a jump-off with a very good field of riders. Home rider Rik Hemeryck opened up, but had to see the STX vertical fall to the ground - settling for four faults but on a very good time at 34.78 seconds. In the end it would be good enough for fourth. Turkey's Derin Demirsoy followed, but had the last vertical down on a slower time than that of Rik.
John Whitaker was next, and did what he is best at - riding fast clear rounds. Aboard Argento (Arko x Gasper), the living legend set the time to beat at 35.11 seconds and the crowds exploded celebrating the British rider as one of their own. It definetly looked hard to beat Whitaker for those to come.
Belgium's own Jerome Guery gave it his best though, and came so close on Papillon Z (Perhaps x Cassini I). Guery was a bit lucky perhaps, as the grey stallion rattled a few poles along the way - but they stayed in the cups and the two crossed the finish line on a time of 35.95 slotting in behind John. Paul Estermann had a good time too, but Castlefield Eclipse (Obos Quality x Furisto) lowered the element out of the combination leaving them on four faults and to the 6th place in the end.
Niels Bruynseels was the next challenger on Cas de Liberte (Cracky Z x Chellano Z). The Belgian rider set off with a determined canter, and left little doubt that he was in for the win. With a great rhythm thorughout, and some very tight turns Niels was lifted on and upwards by the crowds - and when he crossed the finish line he had done the seemingly impossible shaving the time down to 34.42 seconds taking over the lead.
Poor Pieter Devos also rode fast at 35.12 seconds but the last vertical fell, and in the end the Belgian rider finished fifth. Egypt's Karim Elzoghby was the last rider in the ring, but like Estermann he had the b-element of the combinattion down - ending 7th.
The crowds could celebrate two home riders on the podium, with Bruynseels on top and Guery in third divided by no one else than John Whitaker in second.


text:
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    android:layout_width="match_parent"
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    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:paddingTop="10dp"
    android:paddingBottom="10dp"
    android:descendantFocusability="blocksDescendants">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/habitName"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceListItemSmall"
        android:gravity="left"
        android:minHeight="40dp"
        android:text="Habit"
        android:textColor="@android:color/black"
        android:textSize="24sp"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:layout_alignParentStart="true" />

    <TextView
        android:text="Needs to be Completed today: "
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
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        android:textStyle="normal|italic"
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Purpose of review Recent developments of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy treatment strategies for high-risk soft tissue sarcoma (STS) with special emphasis on regional hyperthermia (RHT) are reviewed. Recent findings Attempts to improve outcomes using up-front strategies in addition to surgery have essentially focused on neo-adjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy or preoperative radiochemotherapy. Unfortunately, the results are either confounded by retrospective analyses of nonrandomized studies with small sample size or are negative showing no substantial clinical benefit in the few randomized trials. RHT targets the region of tumor burden by heat. The pleotropic effects on malignant cells and tumor stroma to counteract tumor growth and progression have been recently summarized as hallmarks of hyperthermia. An updated analysis of a completed EORTC-ESHO Intergroup randomized phase 3 trial for the most common types of high-risk STS demonstrates a significantly improved long-term overall survival for patients receiving RHT in combination with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy added to standard surgery and postoperative radiation. Summary By comparison with other strategies, RHT combined with preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy improves overall survival and adds an important but underused standard for high-risk STS.


Designed for standing on drives in cold weather.
660 g per boot in size 8-9.
Limit temperature for use: -12°C. (Test at rest for 30 minutes).
Detachable inner liner to dry or wash by hand.
Men's light, warm boot which is easy to put on/take off, with removable fleece liner.


We have a number of homegroups at St Nicolas which meet during the week, usually every fortnight, and are a great way of growing in faith, developing good friends and providing Christian care. They are suitable for young, old and those in between and are open to all. Some are in the daytime, some in the evening. Content varies, but usually includes study of the bible or a Christian book, prayer and refreshments. They can be really helpful in providing spiritual nourishment for those unable to attend church regularly on a Sunday and those more comfortable in small groups. We would encourage those in our congregation not part of a group to consider joining soon. They are not only for those who know their bible or are spiritually 'strong', the whole point of them is to help people grow in faith and their relationship with God wherever they are at.


text:
China-based firms now going cheap, any takers?
Gho Chee Yuan
The Edge Financial Daily
September 05, 2016 09:38 am +08
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on September 5, 2016.
KUALA LUMPUR: As the economic weather turns harsh, investors tend to seek shelter in cash-rich companies. But China-based firms, many of which are in a net cash position, are unlikely to be the top choice for investors on Bursa Malaysia, although they are trading below cash per share.
Sad to say, investments made in this breed of stocks are proven fruitless. Investors, who subscribed to the initial public offerings (IPOs) and have kept their shares until today, are in deep losses.
A quick check has showed that share prices of nine out of 10 China-based companies that are listed on local exchange have tumbled below their IPO prices. The quantum of the fall could be as much as 96%. Most of them are literally penny stocks which are trading below 10 sen.
In addition, some of them had made cash calls asking shareholders to pump in more money for business expansion or working capital, although a majority of these companies have a cash pile of over one billion yuan in the banks — sizable cash coffers that not many listed companies have, including blue-chip companies.
Shareholders would have suffered from shareholding and earnings dilution if they did not subscribe to the rights issue.
Based on last Friday's closing price, except Kanger International Bhd, other Chinese-based companies are either trading at their all-time low or near to historical low. And some have been suspended from trading due to failure to submit financial accounts.
On the back-of-the-envelope calculation, these companies' cash pile translated into cash per share of 1.5 sen to 115 sen, many of which are notably higher than their share prices.
Analysts noted that in the most recent case, shoemaker XingQuan International Sports Holdings Ltd announced the worst-ever quarterly net loss in the fourth quarter ended June 30, 2016 (4QFY16) which has again shaken the confidence, which is already not high at all, on Chinese firms.
XingQuan revealed that its customer had rejected 3.6 million pairs of custom-made shoes and as a result it sank into the red with a net loss of 605.9 million yuan (RM386.52 million) in 4QFY16.
The rejected shoes had cost XingQuan a whopping loss of 415.7 million yuan (RM252.06 million). On top of that, it suffered from collection problem. The slowdown in Chinese economy hit hard on its sales, its revenue halved to 129.7 million yuan (RM82.7 million).
Just a few months back, XingQuan, which then had RM945 million cash in bank, completed its rights issue at 30 sen per share. The cash call was undersubscribed, although it was sweetened by free warrants. Its share price closed at 12 sen last Friday.
XingQuan is the first China-based firm listed on Bursa, but it is not the first one that has sunk into the red.
In May, Bursa warned that it would suspend shares of two Chinese firms — Maxwell International Holdings Bhd and Multi Sports Holdings Ltd — from trading if both companies failed to submit their latest annual reports before deadline.
For Maxwell, it has fallen into the Practice Note 17 status after external auditor Baker Tilly Monteiro Heng expressed a disclaimer of opinion in its audited financial statements for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2015 (FY15).
The disclaimer of opinion is premised on that Maxwell was unable to provide complete supporting documents for the RM57.25 million advertising and promotion expenses incurred by subsidiary Maxwell (Xiamen) Co Ltd, whose office had ceased operations then.
Multi Sports, another footwear producer has delayed the submission of its annual report and audited statements for FY15, citing the delay was caused by "additional works" by external auditors.
The company had announced on Apr 25 that there would be a delay of at least two months in the release of the documents, as auditors had to carry out more work to verify its expenditure and bank balances. This does not paint a good picture.
Consequently, the counter has been from trading since May.
In 2013, China Stationery Ltd caught fire. The fire destroyed the stationary maker's accounting books. Since the incident, the company's earnings have not recovered to the previous levels.
When Bursa started looking beyond the shores for potential IPO candidates, its move met with scepticism about attracting the rotten apples, instead, having seen the slew of corporate scandals in Singapore.
Simply put, the scepticism seems to have proven that it is not that harsh after all.


text:
Articles by Country: Japan
Validation of the Omron HBP-9031C blood pressure monitor for clinics and hospitals according to the ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060-2:2013 protocol
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Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the Omron HBP-9031C automated oscillometric upper-arm blood pressure (BP) measurement device for blood pressure monitoring, according to the ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060-2:2013 protocol (ANSI/AAMI/ISO).
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Endoscopic treatment of pancreatic diseases via Duodenal Minor Papilla: 135 cases treated by Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic Pancreatic Duct Balloon Dilation (EPDBD), and Pancreatic Stenting (EPS)
Treatments via the minor papilla is effective where the deep cannulation via the major papilla is impossible in such cases as [1] the Wirsung's duct is inflammatory narrowed, bent or obstructed by impacted stones [2] pancreatic duct divisum (complete or incomplete) [3], maljunction of pa...
Chondrogenic re-differentiation potential of chondrocytes after monolayer culture: Comparison between osteoarthritis and young adult patients
Purpose: Monolayer passage of chondrocytes results in dramatic phenotypic changes. This "de-differentiation" is expected to restore the chondrogenic properties such as "re-differentiation" in autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). The purpose of thi...
Biological dose calculation using variable RBE in Single- and Multi-field Optimization IMPT plans for 3 Brain Tumor patients
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate biological dose in single-field optimization (SFO) and multi-field optimization (MFO) intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans for brain tumor patients that used a fixed relative biological effectiveness (FRBE) and thos...
Microdialysis technique for in-vivo monitoring of •OH generation on myocardial injury in the rat
The micro dialysis procedure is a technique that has been established for some years. Although free radical reaction is a part of normal metabolism, sustained elevation of noradrenaline (NA) in the extracellular fluid can be autoxidized, which in turn leads (possibly by an in direct mechanism)...
Scrotal Hydroceles not associated with Patent Processus Vaginalis in Children
Background: After the closure of patent processus vaginalis (PPV) in boys with indirect inguinal hernia (IIH) or hydrocele, large scrotal hydroceles can occur on rare occasions despite the complete occlusion of internal inguinal ring (IIR). We present some cases that may help ...
Prediction of protein Post-Translational Modifi cation sites: An overview
Post-translational modification (PTM) refers to the covalent and enzymatic modification of proteins during or after protein biosynthesis. In the protein biosynthesis process, the ribosomal mRNA is translated into polypeptide chains, which may further undergo PTM to form the product of mature p...
Diabetes and red blood parameters
Type 2 diabetes is a common disease in these days and day by day it is arising. The main focus of the study was to investigate association of packed cell volume (PCV), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MPV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) with glycem...
Progress in the development of Lipoplex and Polyplex modifi ed with Anionic Polymer for effi cient Gene Delivery
Nucleic acid-based therapy has become an increasingly important strategy for treating a variety of human diseases. In systemic therapy, a therapeutic gene must be delivered efficiently to its target tissues without side effects. To deliver a therapeutic gene such as plasmid DNA (pDNA) or small...
Factors affecting muscle strength in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between muscle weakness and cancerrelated symptoms in patients undergoing chemotherapy for hematological malignancies and solid tumors. We recruited hospitalized patients older than 20 years who were receiving chemotherapy. Patients were divided...
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Articles by Country
Carlo Pruneti
Insights on the Depression and Anxiety
Kenji Suzuki
Narayan S Hosmane
Annals of Advances in Chemistry
Mohsen Challan
Carmine Finelli
Guber Ivo
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
Muhammad Khan
Andrey Belousov
Archives of Case Reports


Inexpensive patio furniture ideas decor references, inexpensive outdoor patio furniture inexpensive patio, inexpensive wicker patio furniture decor ideasdecor ideas. 17 best ideas about inexpensive patio furniture on. Best 25 inexpensive patio furniture ideas on pinterest.


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Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms of the College of Arms in England. From 1421 to 1485, Richmond was a herald to John, Duke of Bedford, George, Duke of Clarence, and Henry, Earl of Richmond, all of whom held the Honour (estate) of Richmond.  However, on the accession of Henry as Henry VII of England in 1485, Richmond became a king of arms and remained so until 1510, when the office became that of a herald in ordinary of the Crown.  The badge of office is a red rose of Lancaster dimidiating the white rose en soleil of York, ensigned by the royal crown. Although this device has all the characteristics of a Tudor invention, it is likely to be of fairly recent derivation.

The current Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is Clive Cheesman.

Holders of the office

See also
 Heraldry
 Officer of Arms
 The College of Arms

References
Citations

Bibliography
 The College of Arms, Queen Victoria Street : being the sixteenth and final monograph of the London Survey Committee, Walter H. Godfrey, assisted by Sir Anthony Wagner, with a complete list of the officers of arms, prepared by H. Stanford London, (London, 1963)
 A History of the College of Arms &c, Mark Noble, (London, 1804)

External links
Richmond Herald of Arms

Offices of the College of Arms


The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQGS: MAR) who purchased shares between November 9, 2016 and November 29, 2018. The action, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleges that the Company violated federal securities laws.
In particular, the Marriott lawsuit alleges that (1) Marriott's and Starwood's systems storing their customers' personal data were not secure; (2) there had been unauthorized access on Starwood's network since 2014; (3) consequently, the personal data of approximately 500 million Starwood guests and the sensitive personal information of approximately 327 million of those guests may have been exposed to unauthorized parties; and (4) as a result, Marriott's public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times.
Shareholders have until January 30, 2019 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery does not require that you serve as lead plaintiff. You may choose to be an absent class member.