Abstract: A moisture detection sensor self-adhesive tape is used in a building structure to detect moisture penetration and includes a substrate of dielectric, hydrophobic material. Two elongate, parallel, conductors are secured to the top surface of the substrate and a protective layer of non-hygroscopic, water pervious material secured to the to the top surface of the substrate, over the conductors. A pressure sensitive mounting adhesive is placed on a bottom surface of the substrate and covered with a release sheet. The sensor may include moisture probes adapted to penetrate the protective layer, the respective conductors and the substrate and to extend into a building component to which the substrate has been adhered. The preferred moisture probe is a U-shaped metal staple configured to be driven in by a conventional power stapler.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of primary scores by searching along a plurality of primary angles for an edge in the picture proximate a location interlaced with a field of the picture, (B) generating a plurality of neighbor scores by searching for the edge along a plurality of neighbor angles proximate a particular angle of the primary angles corresponding to a particular score of the primary scores having a best value and (C) identifying a best score from a group of scores consisting of the particular score and the neighbor scores to generate an interpolated sample at the location.

Abstract: A method and system for synchronizing recording of data transferred from a video source device to a recording device is disclosed. The method and system include analyzing an input signal from the source device based on a set of rules. In response to detecting a source device state change, the behavior of the recording device is automatically synchronized to the detected source device state without real-time user-interactive control. More particularly, when normal play mode is detected, the recording device automatically begins recording the input signal without user control or an extra control channel.

Abstract: A method for encoding video, comprising the steps of (A) detecting repeated fields in a video sequence and (B) generating a first repeated frame from a top field and any adjacent bottom field based upon detection of the repeated fields, wherein the top field and the bottom field are from one film frame.

Abstract: An apparatus including a processor and a memory. The processor may be configured to process pixel data comprising eight or more bits. For pixel data having bit-depths greater than eight bits, a number of most significant bits (MSBs) of a pixel are presented as a first byte and a number of least significant bits (LSBs) of the pixel are packed with LSBs from one or more other pixels into a second byte. The memory may be coupled to the processor and configured to store the first byte in response to a first pointer and the second byte in response to a second pointer. The first byte and the second byte are stored independently in the memory.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a multiplexed signal at a fixed frame-rate in response to a video input signal. The multiplexed signal comprises one of (i) a pre-defined packet which corresponds to a new frame rate detected on the video input signal when in a first mode (ii) repeated video frames at the fixed frame-rate when in a second mode and (iii) augmented digitally repeated frames at the fixed-rate when in a third mode. The second circuit may be configured to generate a video output signal in response to decoding (i) the multiplexed signal at the new frame rate defined by the pre-defined packet when in the first mode or (ii) the repeated video frames on the multiplexed signal at the fixed frame-rate when in the second mode.

Abstract: An integrated video decoding system with spatial/temporal video post-processing is disclosed. The integrated video decoding system includes a video decoder for decompressing an input data stream, and an integrated post-processing stage coupled to the video decoder. According to one aspect of the present invention, the integrated post-processing stage combines a temporal filter, a de-interlacer, and optionally a deblocking filter. The integrated post-processing stage further utilizes a single memory system used by the temporal filter and the de-interlacer.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a method for reducing artifacts in a video sequence of image frames is disclosed. The method and system include classifying scenes in the sequence of image frames, analyzing the content of the image frames and performing temporal filtering on the image frames. The method and system further include applying a set of rules to results of the classification and the content analysis to adapt characteristics of the temporal filtering for the scene.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to analyze an audio-video data stream to determine watermark appropriate information for the audio-video data stream. The second circuit may be configured to communicate the watermark appropriate information either in-band with or out-of-band from a bit stream communicating the audio-video data.

Abstract: A method for conveying private or enhancement information in a compressed bit stream comprising the steps of (A) generating a compressed bit stream in response to a first data stream and a plurality of encoding choices and (B) controlling the encoding choices in response to a second data stream comprising one or both of the private information and the enhancement information.

Abstract: A method for securing a content is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a media key by decrypting a media key block based on a device key unique to a particular player of a plurality of players, (B) modifying the media key by decryption based on a class key such that the media key is unique for each of a plurality of subscriber classes, (C) writing an encrypted title key in a media by encrypting a title key based on both the media key after modification and a media identification value unique to the media and (D) writing an encrypted content in the media by encrypting the content based on the title key.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) determining a protection condition by performing a static check on the picture in a region around a location interlaced with a first field of the picture, (B) calculating an interpolated sample at the location by temporal averaging the first field with a second field in response to the protection condition indicating significant vertical activity and (C) calculating the interpolated sample at the location by spatial filtering the first field in response to the protection condition indicating insignificant vertical activity.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of primary scores by searching along a plurality of primary angles for an edge in the picture proximate a location interlaced with a field of the picture, (B) generating a plurality of neighbor scores by searching for the edge along a plurality of neighbor angles proximate a particular angle of the primary angles corresponding to a particular score of the primary scores having a best value and (C) identifying a best score from a group of scores consisting of the particular score and the neighbor scores to generate an interpolated sample at the location.

Abstract: A method and system for synchronizing recording of data transferred from a video source device to a recording device is disclosed. The method and system include analyzing an input signal from the source device based on a set of rules. In response to detecting a source device state change, the behavior of the recording device is automatically synchronized to the detected source device state without real-time user-interactive control. More particularly, when normal play mode is detected, the recording device automatically begins recording the input signal without user control or an extra control channel.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a method for reducing artifacts in a video sequence of image frames is disclosed. The method and system include classifying scenes in the sequence of image frames, analyzing the content of the image frames and performing temporal filtering on the image frames. The method and system further include applying a set of rules to results of the classification and the content analysis to adapt characteristics of the temporal filtering for the scene.

Abstract: An integrated video decoding system with spatial/temporal video post-processing is disclosed. The integrated video decoding system includes a video decoder for decompressing an input data stream, and an integrated post-processing stage coupled to the video decoder. According to one aspect of the present invention, the integrated post-processing stage combines a temporal filter, a de-interlacer, and optionally a deblocking filter. The integrated postprocessing stage further utilizes a single memory system used by the temporal filter and the de-interlacer.

Abstract: A method is provided for transcoding, i.e., decoding, and re-encoding, a previously encoded video signal, to a second encoded representation. A number k>1 of previously encoded pictures of the previously encoded video signal are received in a buffer. Each of the k previously encoded pictures in the buffer is scanned to gather information on each of the k previously encoded pictures. An encoding parameter is allocated to a first one of the k previously encoded pictures which precedes each other one of the k previously encoded pictures in encoded order of the previously encoded video signal. The encoding parameter is allocated based on the information gathered for each of the k previously encoded pictures. The first previously encoded picture is decoded to produce a decoded picture. The decoded picture is re-encoded to generate a re-encoded picture in a second encoded representation of the video signal. The re-encoding is performed in a fashion which depends on the encoding parameter allocated thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for compressing multiple resolution versions of a video signal are disclosed. A first resolution version of a video signal is applied to an input of a first video compressor and to an input of a video scaler. The first video compressor encodes the first resolution version of the video signal to generate a first compressed video bit stream. The video scaler generates a reduced resolution version of the video signal from the first resolution version. The reduced resolution version is supplied to a second video compressor and to the first video compressor. The first video compressor utilizes the reduced resolution version of the video signal in performing a hierarchical motion estimation (ME) search as part of the encoding process for the first resolution version. The second video compressor encodes the reduced resolution version to generate a second compressed bit stream.

Abstract: A statistical multiplexing apparatus and method for generating and combining a plurality of encoded video bit streams. A storage device contains pre-stored a priori statistics indicative of the encoding complexity of the video signals from which the encoded video bit streams will be generated. The pre-stored a priori statistics may include inter-pixel differences in the same picture or between multiple pictures or pre-encoding a priori statistics generated during a preliminary encoding of the video signals. Examples of pre-encoding a priori statistics include the number of bits per picture at a given quantization level, an average quantization level, picture types, scene change locations and repeat field for one or more of the video bit streams. The video signals are applied to encoders which compress the signals in accordance with bit allocation decisions generated by a statistics computer.

Abstract: Compressed video transcoding apparatus and methods are disclosed. One embodiment eliminates the need for reorder buffers by utilizing an encode order video decoder which decodes a first compressed video bit stream to provide a sequence of frames in an encode order suitable for direct encoding without further reordering. An encode order video encoder receives the sequence of frames in encode order and directly encodes the frames without further reordering to provide a second compressed video bit stream. Another embodiment utilizes a frame reorder device to reorder compressed frames of a first compressed video bit stream into an encode order such that a subsequent encoding operation after decoding the first compressed video bit stream can be performed without further reordering of the frames. The reordered compressed frames are decoded and applied in the encode order to an encoder which encodes the frames to provide a second compressed video bit stream.