Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Bruno Polito
  • Patent number: 6828863
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer arrangement for generating signals with frequencies for UMTS and GSM/GPRS frequency bands and a mobile terminal with a respective frequency synthesizer arrangement are proposed, comprising a reference frequency source for providing a signal of constant reference frequency, a first frequency synthesizer sub-unit for transforming the signal of the reference frequency source into a signal with a frequency in a range of a first type of frequency band, a second frequency synthesizer sub-unit for transforming the signal of the reference frequency source into a signal with a frequency in a range of a second type of frequency band, whereby the second frequency synthesizer sub-unit further transforms the signal of the reference frequency source into a signal with an intermediate frequency, and a third frequency synthesizer sub-unit transforms the signal of the reference frequency source into an auxiliary signal with a fixed frequency which is used together with the signal of intermediate freque
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Sony International (Europe) GmbH
    Inventors: Grigory Itkin, Alexander Pestryakov
  • Patent number: 6826282
    Abstract: A storage unit stores data representative of one or several sound sources and a listener of said sound sources. These data comprise position data corresponding to respective positions of the sound sources and the listener. An interface is provided for enabling a user to select the listener or a sound source and to control a change in the position data corresponding to the selected listener or sound source. A constraint solver means changes, in response to the position data change controlled by the user, at least some of the position data corresponding to the element(s), among the listener and the sound sources, other than said selected listener or sound source, in accordance with predetermined constraints. The system further comprises a command generator for delivering control data exploitable by a music spatialisation unit as a function of the position data corresponding to the sound sources and the listener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Sony France S.A.
    Inventors: Francois Pachet, Luc Steels, Olivier Delerue
  • Patent number: 6822661
    Abstract: The video content (program A) currently reproduced is displayed in a video-display area. The complete information of the video content being selected by a selection cursor is displayed in a detailed-information area, and the icon image of the video content being selected is displayed in a selected-video-display area. The icon of the video content (program A) being reproduced is displayed with a “being-reproduced” mark. The icon of a video content (program E) which has already been viewed is displayed with an “already-viewed” mark. The icon of a video content of which medium data has been deleted is displayed light or in gray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kairi Sai, Hidetoshi Ichioka
  • Patent number: 6813436
    Abstract: A digital watermark detection circuit detects a digital watermark inserted in an input signal. When the digital watermark detection circuit detects a digital watermark indicating the prohibition of duplication, a record controlling circuit controls a recording circuit and a recording drive to stop recording and prohibit recording to a recording medium for a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Hirai
  • Patent number: 6804827
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel transmission system suitable for a digital broadcasting system that broadcasts television programs of many channels. Specifically, a selected one of television programs of a plurality of channels is supplied to an AV adjusting device. At this time, the selected television program is supplied to a monitor to allow recognition of its adjustment state. Since video signals and audio signals of television programs supplied from respective program supplying companies and program producing companies have different characteristics, they need to be adjusted to have common characteristics. Adjusted television programs and unselected television programs are supplied to a multiplexing section via routers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Furukawa, Takashi Hirasawa, Kimiyasu Satoh, Michio Mita, Katsuhito Tsujimura, Yasushi Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 6803950
    Abstract: An imaging system capable of easily and reliably adjusting the functions provided in the camera device and preventing mistaken adjustment of these functions. At a step S255, a specified parameter of a definition file or a user file is deleted or changed in values. A CPU judges whether or not an effective key is pressed. If the key is found to be pressed, the CPU proceeds to a step S256 and, if otherwise, the CPU dwells at a step S255. At a step S256, the CPU reads out image data of a parameter setting window from a disc drive based on the selected parameter or the definition file prevailing at a time point of pressing of the effective key. The CPU writes image data of the parameter setting window in a VRAM and causes a display image corresponding to the image data to be displayed on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Miyamoto, Katsuhiko Tsushima, Taku Kihara
  • Patent number: 6798326
    Abstract: An inductor element is formed by helically winding a first conductor and a second conductor by causing both conductors to hold on the condition in parallel to each other. In this case, by causing the first conductor to intersect the second conductor at a predetermined position to replace individual positions. By virtue of this arrangement, individual length of the first and second conductors substantially equal to each other, whereby forming up such an inductor element characterized by less loss of current and higher Q values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Sachio Iida
  • Patent number: 6798447
    Abstract: The invention provides an image processing apparatus wherein, when an image of an imaging object is picked up and converted into image data and the image data is compressed, the data amount can be reduced without deteriorating the picture quality. The image processing apparatus includes an image pickup section for picking up an image of an imaging object and converting the image into image data, a compression section for compressing the image data and outputting the compressed data, a detection section for detecting a data amount of the compressed data, and a control section for controlling an optical condition for the image picked up by the image pickup section in response to the data amount of the compressed data detected by the detection section. The compression section compresses the image data obtained by the conversion of the image pickup section based on the optical condition controlled by the control section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Katsuki
  • Patent number: 6796657
    Abstract: A projection type display apparatus including an illumination optical system for emitting a light flux, a decomposition optical system for decomposing the light flux into color lights of red, green and blue, liquid crystal light valves for the colors for receiving the decomposed color lights, a synthesis optical system for synthesizing the image lights of the colors from the liquid crystal light valves, and a projection optical system for projecting the synthesized image lights to a screen. A filter is disposed at one of positions opposing to each other across the center of the light flux between the white light source and the decomposition optical system and attenuates or cuts off light of a wavelength region different from that of light which passes the other of the positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Shinoda, Kenji Sugihara
  • Patent number: 6798593
    Abstract: A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus which achieves high performance encoding and high efficiency decoding to lower the decoding error rate. A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus 50 includes, in its recording system, an error correction coder 51 for error correction coding input data and an interleaver 52 for scrambling the sequence of data supplied from the error correction coder 51.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Hattori, Jun Murayama, Toshiyuki Miyauchi
  • Patent number: 6795498
    Abstract: An image processing system comprising a decoder 10 and an encoder 30. The decoder 10 comprises a section 12 for decoding a bit stream to generate image data, generating coding parameters for each layer and generating an error flag indicating whether the coding parameters can be effectively used. The encoder 30 comprises a control section 41, an MB-parameter calculating section 36, an encoding section 38 and a variable-length encoding section 39. The section 41 determines, from the error flag, whether or not the coding parameters can be effectively used or not. The section 36 calculates coding parameters when the coding parameters generated by the section 12 are invalid. The sections 38 and 39 encodes the image data by using the coding parameters generated by the section 12 when these parameters are valid, and by using the coding parameters calculated by the section 36 when the coding parameters generated by the section 12 are invalid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Motoki Kato, Koji Obata, Nobuhiro Igi, Hideyuki Narita
  • Patent number: 6791552
    Abstract: Digital video processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of render processors arranged in an operational sequence, each operable to render an output result relating to an image of a video signal from input data relating to that and/or other images received from a preceding render processor in the operational sequence; and a render controller for controlling rendering operation of the render processors; each render processor being operable to communicate dependency data to the render controller, indicating which images must be rendered by a preceding render processor in order for that render processor to render output data relating to a required image; and the render controller being operable to control operation of the render processors so that images required by each render processor are rendered by preceding render processors in the operational sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited
    Inventors: Antony James Gould, Jonathan James Stone
  • Patent number: 6791621
    Abstract: A line doubling processing system has an input signal switching output section for receiving sequential input fields and for outputting, based on the sequential input fields, a plurality of fields obtained from the same image, and a line doubling device for generating one line-doubled field using the plurality of fields that are output from the input signal switching output section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Muzaffar Husain Bin Fakhruddin, Seiko Imai, Toshio Sarugaku
  • Patent number: 6785418
    Abstract: An image identification apparatus for identifying an image from a hand drawn representation of at least part of the image, the image identification apparatus comprising an image processor arranged in operation to generate a reference identification in response to spatial samples produced from at least part of the hand drawn representation, the reference identification being indicative of a first estimate of which of a plurality of pre-stored images corresponds to the hand drawn representation. and a controller which is arranged in operation to cause the image processor to produce a refined reference identification from the spatial samples and further spatial samples produced from a further part of the hand drawn representation, the refined reference identification being indicative of a refined estimate of which of the plurality of the prestored images corresponds to the hand drawn representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited
    Inventors: Mark Barton, Jonathan Thorpe, Anne Cherrington
  • Patent number: 6782188
    Abstract: An original coded stream reproduced from a magnetic tape 1 is decoded by an MPEG decoder 29, and original video data of a base band is thus generated. A switching circuit 15 generates edited video data by switching the original video data and supplied insertion video data on the base band level at IN-point and OUT-point. The MPEG encoder 19 generates an edited coded stream by coding the edited video data supplied from the switching circuit 15. A system controller 13 controls a recording circuit 23 to record only a picture changed by editing processing, from among the edited coded stream, onto the magnetic tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Ido, Ichiro Aki, Kohei Nakajo, Ichiro Ogata, Hiroshi Matsuzawa, Kenji Ohtsuka, Mikio Kita, Takaaki Murata, Takayuki Ohishi
  • Patent number: 6778223
    Abstract: Image data of still images are created based on data produced by one-dimensionally sampling a sequence of two-dimensionally displayed moving image data in one direction while sequentially moving a sampling position in another direction, and particular frame images are detected in the sequence of moving images based on the moving image data, such that the detected particular frame images are displayed together with a still image based on the created image data along a common time base, thus enabling an operator to immediately recognize an overall stream of moving images represented by the moving image data based on the displayed particular frame images and still image, thereby making it possible to realize an image display apparatus and method capable of readily confirming an outline of the moving images and selecting a desired scene therefrom in a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Keiko Abe
  • Patent number: 6768514
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, and it is applicable to a variety of kinds of image processing apparatus such as television receivers, video tape recorders, television cameras, printers, etc., and it makes it possible to correct the gradation of an image avoiding the lowering of partial contrast effectively. In this case, an excessive emphasis of an outline can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Tsuchiya, Masami Ogata, Kazuhiko Ueda
  • Patent number: 6757304
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a data communication system for data communication between a bus and a network. This data communication system of the present invention includes a first interface device for performing interface processing for the bus, a second interface device for performing interface processing for the network, and a generating device for generating a first clock used by the first interface device in synchronization with a second clock used for causing processes in the network to be synchronized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Nomura, Atsushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 6757443
    Abstract: An input picture signal having noise added through a transmission path or the like is supplied. Noise is removed from the input picture by a class categorizing adaptive process in which predictive coefficients are pre-learnt and decided for each class. A class corresponding to a noise component contained in the input picture is decided. Predictive coefficients of the class and the values of pixels of frames containing a considered pixel of the input picture signal are linearly combined. Thus, predictive pixel values are generated, which are free of noise. When motion of a considered pixel is detected and pixels that are used to decide a class and pixels that are used for a predictive calculation are compensated corresponding to the motion, noise accurately corresponding to a noise component can be removed from the input picture signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Hisakazu Shiraki, Hideo Nakaya, Toshihiko Hamamatsu, Yuji Okumura
  • Patent number: 6753910
    Abstract: The invention provides an image processing apparatus and an image processing method and can be applied to an image information apparatus such as, for example, a television receiver, a video tape recorder, a television camera and a printer so that the gradation can be corrected while effectively preventing a finally obtained image from partial deterioration of the contrast. An area to which each of image data belongs is discriminated with reference to, for example, a low frequency component of a pixel value, and a correction coefficient is produced for the area. Such correction coefficients are smoothed between successive frames, and the pixel values of the image data are corrected with the smoothed correction coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masami Ogata, Takashi Tsuchiya, Kazuhiko Ueda