초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for connecting a home network to the Internet using the ports or sockets of the home gateway to multiplex the data flow. The devices on the home network may be client or server applications. The home gateway has a single Internet address. Unicast and multicast data flows to th

A method and apparatus for connecting a home network to the Internet using the ports or sockets of the home gateway to multiplex the data flow. The devices on the home network may be client or server applications. The home gateway has a single Internet address. Unicast and multicast data flows to the home network are supported. The apparatus includes the home network and a home gateway. The home network includes at least one home network device. The home gateway includes at least one home gateway port. Each home network device is connected to at least one home gateway port. The home gateway is connected to the Internet. The home network includes means for autodiscovering, for each of the at least one home network device, the home Internet address. The method includes the steps of connecting at least one home network device to a home gateway using at least one home gateway port, connecting the home gateway to the Internet using a single Internet address and autodiscovering, for each of the at least one home network device, the home Internet address.

대표청구항 ▼

A method and apparatus for connecting a home network to the Internet using the ports or sockets of the home gateway to multiplex the data flow. The devices on the home network may be client or server applications. The home gateway has a single Internet address. Unicast and multicast data flows to th

A method and apparatus for connecting a home network to the Internet using the ports or sockets of the home gateway to multiplex the data flow. The devices on the home network may be client or server applications. The home gateway has a single Internet address. Unicast and multicast data flows to the home network are supported. The apparatus includes the home network and a home gateway. The home network includes at least one home network device. The home gateway includes at least one home gateway port. Each home network device is connected to at least one home gateway port. The home gateway is connected to the Internet. The home network includes means for autodiscovering, for each of the at least one home network device, the home Internet address. The method includes the steps of connecting at least one home network device to a home gateway using at least one home gateway port, connecting the home gateway to the Internet using a single Internet address and autodiscovering, for each of the at least one home network device, the home Internet address. e not to the second terminal. 21. A method according to claim 20, wherein outputting the second decompressed video frames to the bus comprises outputting at least one of the second decompressed video frames to the bus more than once. 22. A method according to claim 19, further comprising: using at least some of the decompressed video frames read from the bus during the first and second pluralities of timeslots to form third decompressed video frames, each frame in the third decompressed video frames being representative of a composite image; compressing the third decompressed video frames and thereby generating third compressed video frames; and sending the third compressed video frames to a third audiovisual terminal at a third data transmission rate. 23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the third data transmission rate is substantially equal to the first data transmission rate. 24. A method according to claim 22, wherein the third data transmission rate is substantially equal to the second data transmission rate. 25. A method according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the second decompressed video frames is used to generate more than one of the third decompressed video frames. 26. A method according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the first decompressed video frames is not used to generate any of the third decompressed video frames. 27. A method according to claim 22, wherein outputting the first decompressed video frames to a bus comprises outputting the first decompressed video frames to the bus at a first frame rate. 28. A method according to claim 27, wherein outputting the second decompressed video frames to the bus comprises outputting the second decompressed video frames to the bus at the first frame rate. 29. A method according to claim 28, wherein outputting the second decompressed video frames to the bus at the first frame rate comprises outputting at least one of the second decompressed video frames to the bus more than once. 30. A method according to claim 28, wherein reading at least some decompressed video frames from the bus during the first plurality of timeslots comprises reading decompressed video frames from the bus at the first frame rate. 31. A method according to claim 30, wherein reading at least some decompressed video frames from the bus during the second plurality of timeslots comprises reading decompressed video frames from the bus at the first frame rate. 32. A method according to claim 19, wherein the first compressed video frames have been compressed according to a first data compression algorithm and wherein the second compressed video frames have been compressed according to a second data compression algorithm. 33. A method according to claim 32, wherein decompressing the first compressed video frames comprises decompressing the first compressed video frames according to the first data compression algorithm. 34. A method according to claim 33, wherein decompressing the second compressed video frames comprises decompressing the second compressed video frames according to the second data compression algorithm. 35. A method of operating a conference, comprising: receiving first compressed video frames from a first audiovisual terminal at a first data transmission rate; receiving second compressed video frames from a second audiovisual termina