Patents Examined by James J. Groody
  • System and method for synchronizing video indexing between audio/video signal and data
    Patent number: 7072575
    Abstract: In the present system and method, synchronization information is inserted into specified positions of the content of a multimedia stream at the time when the contents are produced. Thus, the present invention enables a user to easily search the synchronization information on the specified positions through an annotation. As a result, a user can selectively control the playback of a video cartridge recorder through the annotation of a recorded MPEG stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Bae Guen Kang
  • Method and apparatus for controlling display time point of MPEG bit stream of recording medium
    Patent number: 7068915
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a display time point of an MPEG bit stream of a recording medium which is capable of controlling accurately a display time point of an MPEG bit stream in case that an MPEG bit stream of a recording medium is processed to be displayed according to a special decoding command and returns to a normal decoding command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: LC Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sang Hee Cho
  • Method and system for providing media from remote locations to a viewer
    Patent number: 7065778
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention enables a user to utilize a personalized video recorder (PVR) to order and receive specific television shows that are unavailable from his or her television content provider. Specifically, the PVR is coupled to the Internet such that it can receive an electronic programming guide (EPG) containing worldwide television programming from an EPG server computer. The PVR user utilizes the EPG to request delivery of a specific television show that is typically unavailable to him or her. Upon reception of the request, the EPG server computer locates via the Internet a PVR situated within a broadcast region of the requested television show. Next, the EPG server computer programs the PVR to record the requested television show when it is broadcast. Once the PVR records the television show, it is transmitted to the EPG server computer which transmits it to the requesting PVR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: EnReach Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Bin Lu
  • Apparatus and method for controlling image quality reduction of image information
    Patent number: 7065289
    Abstract: An apparatus 10 for controlling image quality reduction of image information, which is related to the present invention, has a VLD 30 for introducing a code stream input 21 thereinto of image information based on an MPEG, a reverse circuit 40 for introducing a pre-reverse level 32 thereinto from the VLD 30, and a VLC 50 for introducing a RUN 31 from the VLD 30 and an after-reverse level 42 from the reverse circuit 40, and a code stream output 51 of image information based on the MPEG is generated by the VLC 50 and is sent therefrom, and this code stream output 51 is provided for a digital copy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Furuta
  • Data recording/reproducing apparatus and program recorded medium
    Patent number: 7062158
    Abstract: Management in a disk according to conventional techniques is effective in only one recording area which is the entire disk, and therefore, it has been heretofore impossible to manage files by data type. A data recording/reproducing apparatus comprises recording area setting means 50 of setting a plurality of logical recording areas in a recording medium, and file management means 60 which manages files with reference to free area management information, recording file management information and deletion file selecting criteria information, and data recording/reproducing apparatus is characterized in that when judging that a free area for writing the new data is insufficient, the file management means 60, referring to the deletion file selecting criteria information, deletes a portion or all of at least one file or does not execute an operation for writing the new data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Ayaki
  • Apparatus and method of controlling playback according to program ratings
    Patent number: 7062148
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of recording and reproducing a video/audio signal is provided, and more particularly, an apparatus and method of controlling playback according to program ratings, by which a playback mode is controlled on the basis of a set viewable program rating, upon playback of programs recorded together with information associated with the program ratings. Upon playback of a tape in which various rating programs are recorded, when the rating of a program to be played back is higher than a set program rating, the position of a program having the set program rating or lower ratings is searched for at high speed. Thus, a viewable program is automatically searched for within a short time without key manipulation, and can be viewed by viewers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-hee Han
  • Information processing apparatus and method, and recording medium
    Patent number: 7062151
    Abstract: An IRD (Integrated Receiver-Decoder) causes SmartFile information of a D-VHS (Digital-Video Home System) to be read so as to operate the D-VHS on the basis of the SmartFile information. The IRD instructs the D-VHS to record a program, extracts content information and relevant information from a broadcast signal received by an antenna, and outputs the content information and relevant information to the D-VHS. The D-VHS records the input content information and relevant information in accordance with an instruction from the IRD. Furthermore, the IRD causes the recorded relevant information to be read from the D-VHS and displays it on a monitor, selects a program on the basis of the displayed relevant information, and sends an instruction for playing back the selected program to the D-VHS. The D-VHS plays back the content information in accordance with this playback instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiko Aoki, Shinichiro Sugai, Keiji Kaneko
  • Information input apparatus
    Patent number: 7058286
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus capable of receiving and processing a variety of types of input is shown with features that make it easy to add properly synchronized information as desired. A CCD photoelectrically converts into image signals the light of objects collected by a photographic lens. The image signals of the photographic images are digitized by an analog/digital (A/D) conversion circuit, and are compressed by a digital signal processor (DSP). A central processing unit (CPU) records on a memory card the photographic images along with their input date and time as header information. When sound information is received through a microphone during reproduction of the photographic images, the CPU 34 records on the memory card the sound information along with the input date and time header information of the photographic images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ejima, Akihiko Hamamura
  • Image pickup device and image pickup optical system
    Patent number: 7057659
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system which, albeit being simple in construction, enables images of a wide range of natural subjects to be well reproduced with their colors, and provides an image pickup system comprising, at least, an image pickup optical system 1, an electronic image pickup device 3 having three or more different spectral characteristics to obtain a color image and a controller 4 for implementing signal processing or image processing on the basis of an output from the electronic image pickup device. The optical element that takes part in the determination of a focal length in said image pickup system comprises an optical element making use of a refraction phenomenon alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Hisashi Goto, Yuji Miyauchi, Toyoharu Hanzawa, Masahiro Imamura, Yuko Kobayashi, Tsutomu Uzawa, Toshihide Nozawa, Takuji Horie, Kouki Hozumi
  • Reproducing apparatus having high-speed reproducing function
    Patent number: 7058280
    Abstract: In a reproducing apparatus, a plurality of pictures of image data reproduced from a recording medium at a speed higher than a normal reproduction speed is stored in a memory, each of the plurality of pictures of image data stored in the memory is divided into a plurality of regions, and one picture of image data is formed by using the different divided regions of the plurality of pictures of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Suzuki
  • Speech-to-text captioning for digital cameras and associated methods
    Patent number: 7053938
    Abstract: A digital camera includes a processor and a microphone. The camera captures audio speech and converts the speech to text. The text can be combined with a captured image to provide a composite file. The processor executes an instruction set which performs the audio to text conversion. Text conversion is activated using either a user activated input control or through voice commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: John W. Sherry
  • Recording/reproducing apparatus and reproducing apparatus
    Patent number: 7050699
    Abstract: A recording apparatus of a helical scan system, including a first video head which records video signals on a magnetic tape when a running speed of the magnetic tape is a standard speed and a second video head which records video signals on the magnetic tape when the running speed of the magnetic tape is approximately 1/N of the standard speed, N being an integer larger than 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Nishijima, Shoji Ohno, Kouji Minabe, Katsuyuki Watanabe
  • Method and apparatus for synthesizing or modifying a copy protection signal using a lowered signal level portion
    Patent number: 7050698
    Abstract: A modified Colorstripe™ copy protection process utilizes a basic anti-copy protection (ACP) signal that causes attenuation of a video signal, wherein, in one embodiment, the process modifies (lowers) the level of a front porch portion and adds an incorrect color signal (color burst) in the region of the sync tip. When an illegal copy is made, a pre-blanked end of line portion causes a TV set to trigger the color burst sample pulse ahead of time and cause the incorrect color signal in the sync tip region to be sampled. Thus, since the sync tip region has incorrect color phase or frequency, the resulting illegal copy will have enhanced color distortions. In other embodiments, other portions of the horizontal blanking interval are lowered in level and incorrect color bursts are added to a portion or portions of the back porch and/or a portion of the front porch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Macrovision Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald Quan
  • Broadcast program recording apparatus using electronic program guide
    Patent number: 7046913
    Abstract: A broadcast program recording apparatus is provided in which ease of operation is improved for selecting a broadcast program to be entered by making it possible to enter a broadcast program to be recorded, by using EPG data, even when a broadcast program which is being currently broadcast is being recorded. The broadcast program recording apparatus includes a tuner section for receiving a broadcast program containing broadcast program information, an EPG decoder for decoding the broadcast program information received by the tuner section, a controller having recording management information which is created by extracting a broadcast program to be recorded from the decoded EPG data, and a recording section for recording the broadcast program on the basis of the recording management information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiko Sato
  • Image recording apparatus employing a single CCD chip to record two digital optical images
    Patent number: 7046288
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus for processing an image includes a camera (10), or other optical sensor means, for recording a first digital optical image of at least part of a scene illuminated by an illuminant light and for recording a second digital optical image of at least a part of substantially the same scene under substantially the same illuminant light. The images may be recorded on respectively different sensor arrays (12a and 12b). The light producing the first and second images undergoes different optical processing in order to produce those images, and processing means (18) in communication with the optical sensor means is provided for processing information relating to the first and second images. By relating the two images, the processing means (18) is able to provide information regarding the color of the illuminate light or other physical properties of the illuminated scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: University of East Anglia
    Inventor: Graham Finlayson
  • Encoded video image formatting
    Patent number: 7046916
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to enable variable speed forwards or reverse play of motion-prediction coded sequences of video signal frames. Successive images of a sequence are MPEG encoded with some images of the sequence becoming I-frames and the remainder P- or B-frames. The frame data is formatted to sequences of fixed size data blocks (I,P,B) to form a data block stream into which further, information blocks (i) are inserted at periodic intervals. Each information block (i) carriers a pointer to the relative location in the data block stream of the first data block of the immediately preceding I-frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Octavius J. Morris, Timothy J. Everett
  • Image taking apparatus
    Patent number: 7046279
    Abstract: An image taking apparatus includes an image sensor which picks up an image of a photographic object and a selector which selects a first photographing mode or a second photographing mode and a controller. The second photographing mode is a mode for composing a plurality of picked-up images to create a composite image. The controller makes the image sensor pickup a photographic object image on the first photographing condition when the first photographing mode is selected by the selector, and makes the image sensor pick up a plurality of images of photographic objects on the second photographing condition different from said first photographing condition when the second photographing mode is selected by the selector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mutsuhiro Yamanaka, Kazuchika Sato, Noriyuki Okisu, Yasuhiro Morimoto, Hiroaki Kubo, Keiji Tamai, Kazuki Akaho, Shinichi Fujii
  • Media editing
    Patent number: 7043137
    Abstract: A media editing apparatus for editing media items together to form a media product comprises means for displaying at least two representations of the media items, each representation relating to media items lying within a respective time period with respect to the media product; a user control for adjusting the time period of any one of the at least two representations; and means, responsive to a user adjustment of the time period for a current representation, for adjusting the respective time periods of the other representations so that the time periods for the other representations at least encompass the user-adjusted time period for the current representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited
    Inventor: Derek Slone
  • Digital video system
    Patent number: 7043142
    Abstract: The erasion level appending range of a file is instructed. According to this instruction, the erasion level is set. When this setting range does not agree with the cell unit of the current cell, the current cell is divided to set a sequence of divided cells. Playback management information of each of the divided cells and current cell is re-created, and erasion level information is appended to playback management information of the divided cell that belongs to the appending range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shinichi Kikuchi, Hideo Ando, Kazuhiko Taira, Yuji Ito, Hideki Mimura
  • Information record medium, apparatus for recording the same and apparatus for reproducing the same
    Patent number: 7035529
    Abstract: An information record medium (1: DVD) having a record track (1a) recorded with at least video information is to be reproduced by a reproducing apparatus (S2), which has a read device (80) and reproduces at least video information while relatively moving the read device along the record track. In the information record medium, at least video information and control information (41: NAVI-PACK, 50: PCI, 51: DSI) comprising access information to access the video information are recorded on the record track such that the video and control informations are divided into a plurality of first data groups (30: VOBU), each of which is a unit able to be accessed by the reproducing apparatus and each of which comprises the video and control informations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Yoshio, Ryuichiro Yoshimura, Takao Sawabe, Yoshiaki Moriyama, Kaoru Yamamoto, Akihiro Tozaki, Hiroshi Nakamura