Abstract: A method for processing a video stream of digital images includes: receiving the video stream which includes at least one composite frame containing a pair of stereoscopic digital images according to a predetermined packing format; receiving metadata which describes the format of the composite frame; generating an output video stream which can be reproduced on a visualization device, wherein the method further includes the steps of determining the area in the composite frame which is occupied by one image of the stereoscopic pair within the composite frame based on the metadata; extracting the image contained in the area from the composite frame, and generating an output frame containing the extracted image.

Abstract: Systems for, and methods of, displaying video information comprising: a second screen device obtaining current play position data of a video being played on a primary screen device (e.g., obtaining from the primary screen device an identification of a current play position of the video, or obtaining information to generate an acoustic fingerprint of the video); determining a current play position of the video playing on the primary screen device based upon the current play position data (e.g., identification of the current play position or the acoustic fingerprint); downloading information (e.g., video map, subtitles, moral principles, objectionable content, memorable content, performers, geographical maps, shopping, plot point, item, ratings, trivia information, and recipe information) over a computer communications network into the memory of the second screen device; and displaying information on the second screen device synchronized with the contemporaneously played video on the primary screen device.

Abstract: A device for directing radiation in the direction of an optical element of an image sensing device of a vehicle. The device includes a central area for directing at least one portion of a first incident radiation onto the optical element. The device also includes at least one border area for directing at least one portion of at least one second incident radiation onto the optical element. The at least one second incident radiation runs in the opposite direction or at an obtuse angle with respect to the first incident radiation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating custom professional videos are disclosed. The system includes client computing devices, an administrator computing device, and professional editor computing devices, all of which communicate with one or more servers via a network. A server of the one or more servers receives media data including at least one image file, text data, and an audio file from a client computing device via a network. The server creates a video job based on the media data and transmits it to a professional editor computing device. The professional editor uses at least one editing application running on the professional editor computing device to create a video based on the video job. The server transmits the created video to the administrator computing device for review. The server transmits the created video to the client computing device upon approval by the administrator.

Abstract: Systems (100) and methods (1100) for activating an Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) element deactivator. The methods involve: obtaining customer-related data from a customer of a business organization who is attempting to deactivate an EAS element of at least one item; obtaining transaction data contained in a receipt issued upon completion of a checkout transaction for the customer; communicating the customer-related data, transaction data and a unique identifier for an EAS element deactivation system to a remote computing device; processing the customer-related data and transaction data to obtain confirmation that the customer has recently successfully completed the checkout transaction for the item and the EAS element of the item has not yet been deactivated; and activating the EAS element deactivator of the EAS element deactivation system subsequent to when the confirmation is obtained.

Abstract: In response to receiving a request, a current status of each one of a number of tuners of a television receiver may be determined. A ranking may be assigned to each one of the number of tuners based on an associated determined status. A listing may be generated based on the ranking and, when selected, a particular tuner of ranking greater than other ones of the plurality of tuners may be allocated for the recording of a particular broadcast program.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit has a video encoder including a motion prediction unit, a motion compensation unit, a subtraction unit, a discrete cosine transform unit, a quantization unit, an inverse quantization unit, an inverse discrete cosine transform unit, and an addition unit. The encoder divides the video signal from the camera into a plurality of partial images including the central part of the image and the peripheral part of the image according to the distance from the center of the image, and processes the partial images. A pixel processing unit coordinate-transforms coordinates of a pixel included in the central part of the image into coordinates of the peripheral part of the image, and performs a process of enlarging an object of a subject included in the central part of the image on a pixel-by-pixel basis when performing the coordinate transform.

Abstract: A method, system, and article of manufacture that allows amateur camera operators to share video and audio with other amateur camera operators at the same event over a cooperative, ad hoc network. One embodiment of the present invention comprises forming an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of recording devices, and communicating audiovisual signals between the plurality of recording devices in the ad hoc network. In some embodiments, this method may further comprise transmitting a replay request to the plurality of recording devices and receiving an audiovisual signal corresponding to the replay request, transmitting a push request to the plurality of recording devices, and/or transmitting a message to at least one of the plurality of recording devices.

Abstract: A method of playing audio content to a viewer in synchronisation with a video content. The method comprises receiving and digitising an ultrasonic signal comprising ultrasonic synchronisation signal(s) which encode a respective timecode through modulation of ultrasonic carrier signal(s), and identifying digitised ultrasonic synchronisation signals which are decoded to determine the corresponding timecode by sampling the digitised ultrasonic signal and eliminating estimated background noise component(s) from the frequency spectrum of the samples, binarising the corrected frequency spectrum corresponding to the timecode-carrying part of the digitised ultrasonic synchronisation signal to generate a representation of the timecode, and determining the corresponding timecode from the representation. A stored audio content is played back from a playback point determined based on the timecode.

Abstract: A real-time surveillance system for aiding vehicle drivers and portable first unit for use therein is provided. The unit includes an image sensor that generates a sequence of images from received light. The system further includes a support to detachably support the unit on the vehicle so that the sensor is capable of receiving light from obstacles, hazards or individuals located in a blind spot region of the vehicle. A display is supported on the vehicle so that the images are viewable by a driver of the vehicle in real time. The system further includes a mechanism to authenticate a person desirous of using the system or removing the unit from the vehicle as an authorized person based, at least in part, on an authenticator. The authenticator includes at least one of a password, a passphrase, a personal identification number, a security token, a security card, and a biometric identifier.

Abstract: A depth map aligning method and a system are provided. The depth map aligning method includes the following steps. A view warping is performed to a left-view image and a right-view image of a real-view image according to a corresponding depth map to obtain a right-virtual view image, a left hole information, and a right hole information thereof. A residual difference of pixel, which is not a hole, is obtained by pixel to pixel. If the residual difference of the pixel is larger than a first threshold value, a reverse warping is performed to obtain a coordinate of the pixel. The depth value of the pixel is aligned according to the depth value of one or more pixels in a vicinity of the obtained coordinate.

Abstract: Objects within two-dimensional video data are modeled by three-dimensional models as a function of object type and motion through manually calibrating a two-dimensional image to the three spatial dimensions of a three-dimensional modeling cube. Calibrated three-dimensional locations of an object in motion in the two-dimensional image field of view of a video data input are determined and used to determine a heading direction of the object as a function of the camera calibration and determined movement between the determined three-dimensional locations. The two-dimensional object image is replaced in the video data input with an object-type three-dimensional polygonal model having a projected bounding box that best matches a bounding box of an image blob, the model oriented in the determined heading direction. The bounding box of the replacing model is then scaled to fit the object image blob bounding box, and rendered with extracted image features.

Abstract: A main stream contains successive content elements of video and/or audio information that encode video and/or audio information at a first data rate. A computation circuit (144) computes main fingerprints from the successive content elements. A reference stream is received having a second data rate lower than the first data rate. The reference stream defines a sequence of the reference fingerprints. A comparator unit (144) compares the main fingerprints with the reference fingerprints. The main stream is monitored for the presence of inserted content elements between original content elements, where the original content elements have main fingerprints that match successive reference fingerprints and the inserted content elements have main fingerprints that do not match reference fingerprints. Rendering of inserted content elements to be skipped. In an embodiment when more than one content element matches only one is rendered.

Abstract: An aerial photographing system, comprising a flying vehicle being remotely controlled, a camera (7, 8) tiltably supported in any direction via a gimbal (25), a retro-reflector (9) tilting integrally with the camera, being set in a known relation with the camera and used as an object to be measured, and a total station (3) for tracking the retro-reflector and for measuring position of the retro-reflector.

Abstract: A first program recording timer may be scheduled to record a particular program broadcast on a particular television channel by a television service provider. A second program recording timer may be scheduled to record a plurality of programs broadcast consecutively on the particular television channel by the television service provider, including the particular program. A first graphical indicator that identifies scheduling of the first program recording timer, and a second graphical indicator that identifies scheduling of the second program recording timer may be simultaneously output for display within a programming guide and in association with a descriptor of the particular program.

Abstract: A method and system for activating an EAS element deactivator is provided. At a computer, item data including a physical attribute of an item is received. A determination is made as to whether the item data corresponds to a purchased item in a purchase receipt. When it is determined that the item data corresponds to the purchased item, EAS element deactivator is activated for use.

Abstract: A method for measuring phase shift to detect irregularities of a surface is described. Additionally, a system for measuring phase shift to detect irregularities of a surface is provided. Further, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon is described. The computer-executable instructions are for measuring phase shift to detect irregularities of a surface.

Abstract: The image decoding method includes: determining a context for use in a current block to be processed, from among a plurality of contexts; and performing arithmetic decoding on a bit sequence corresponding to the current block, using the determined context, wherein in the determining: the context is determined under a condition that control parameters of neighboring blocks of the current block are used, when the signal type is a first type, the neighboring blocks being a left block and an upper block of the current block; and the context is determined under a condition that the control parameter of the upper block is not used, when the signal type is a second type, and the second type is “no_residual_data_flag”.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for determining a depth map in a scene are disclosed herein. According to one aspect, a method includes collecting focus statistical information for a plurality of focus windows. The method may also include determining a focal distance for each window. Further, the method may include determining near, far, and target focus distances. The method may also include calculating a stereo-base and screen plane using the focus distances.

Abstract: The system and method for remote utility meter reading are include a camera positioned adjacent the face of a utility meter for generating an analog optical image signal representative of a the utility meter having a visual identifier associated with the utility meter. The visual identifier may be a label, a bar code or the like for identifying the location of the particular utility meter. An analog-to-digital converter is in communication with the camera for receiving the analog optical image signal and generating an associated digital image signal. The original analog optical image signal is preserved, so that a transmitter in communication with the camera may transmit both the analog optical image signal and the digital image signal to a remote host associated with the utility company for remote reading of the utility meter.