Abstract: An apparatus and method for tracking dialogue and other sound signals in film, television or other systems with multiple channel sound is described. One or more audio channels which is expected to carry the speech of persons appearing in the program or other particular types of sounds is inspected to determine if that channel's audio includes particular sounds such as MUEVs, including phonemes corresponding to human speech patterns. If an improper number of particular sounds such as phonemes are found in the channel(s) an action such as a report, an alarm, a correction, or other action is taken. The inspection of the audio channel(s) may be made in conjunction with the appearance of corresponding images associated with the sound, such as visemes in the video signal, to improve the determination of types of sounds such as phonemes.

Abstract: This invention is an apparatus and method for digital processing of television like signals and in particular the use of oversampling and interpolation to achieve improved resolution of the digital version of such signals as compared to a digital version obtained by the use of simple A/D conversion or processing at the desired sample rate. The preferred embodiment utilizes oversampling, interpolation and various filtering in recursive and nonrecursive form to provide output video signals wherein the artifacts and distortion of the video are kept to low levels.

Abstract: In an image replication circuit, the improvement of replicating a given element at a certain location with the most similar of surrounding sets of image elements.

Abstract: The apparatus and method described herein provides for creating multiple spatial patterns, such as magnetic patterns on credit cards. The invention includes storage of information from which patterns may be created, a pattern creation device for creating the spatial patterns, and control whereby the information which is stored is selectively utilized to cause the pattern creation. This allows multiple desired patterns to be simulated, allowing convenient replacement of a number of separate pattern carrying devices.

Abstract: The apparatus and method described herein provides for creating multiple spatial patterns, such as magnetic patterns on credit cards. The invention includes storage of information from which patterns may be created, a pattern creation device for creating the spatial patterns, and control whereby the information which is stored is selectively utilized to cause the pattern creation. This allows multiple desired patterns to be simulated, allowing convenient replacement of a number of separate pattern carrying devices.

Abstract: Improvements in program viewing apparatus and methods, some of which are now commonly referred to as personal video recorder (PVR) and program guide features in television sets, set top boxes and other video devices. The invention provides for a user display such as a flat panel program display device, a user remote for the user to control operations and features, program data storage for storing programs and related information, removable data storage for storing programs and related information on removable storage media. Also included is a data manager which functions include response to the user's desires via the user remote to control receiving and storing programs and select received or stored programs to be displayed on the user display device. The data manager may also be responsive to receive, store and display other services such as programming guide services to provide enhanced program viewing and storage management as directed by the user.

Abstract: Measurement of the relative timing between images and associated information, for example video and audio. Image mutual event characteristics are recognized in the images and associated mutual event characteristics are recognized in the associated information. The image mutual events and associated mutual events are compared to determine their occurrences, one relative to the other as a measure of relative timing. Particular operation with audio and video signals is described.

Abstract: An invention for measuring, maintaining and correcting synchronization between signals which suffer varying relative delays during transmission and/or storage is shown. The preferred embodiment of the invention finds particular use in measuring the relative delay between multiple audio signals and an associated video signal of a television type program which is compressed via MPEG or other compression for a transmission and/or storage system. The invention marks the video signal at a time when a particular event in the associated audio occurs. The mark is carried with the video throughout the video processing. After processing the same event in the audio is again identified, the mark in the video identified, the two being compared to determine the timing difference therebetween.

Abstract: An invention for measuring, maintaining and correcting synchronization between signals which suffer varying relative delays during transmission and/or storage is shown. The preferred embodiment of the invention finds particular use in measuring the relative delay between multiple audio signals and an associated video signal of a television type program which is compressed via MPEG or other compression for a transmission and/or storage system. The invention marks the video signal at a time when a particular event in the associated audio occurs. The mark is carried with the video throughout the video processing. After processing the same event in the audio is again identified, the mark in the video identified, the two being compared to determine the timing difference therebetween.

Abstract: In an image replication circuit, the improvement of replicating a given element at a certain location with the most similar of surrounding sets of image elements.

Abstract: The apparatus and method described herein provides for creating multiple spatial patterns, such as magnetic patterns on credit cards. The invention includes storage of information from which patterns may be created, a pattern creation device for creating the spatial patterns, and control whereby the information which is stored is selectively utilized to cause the pattern creation. This allows multiple desired patterns to be simulated, allowing convenient replacement of a number of separate pattern carrying devices.

Abstract: The apparatus and method described herein provides for creating multiple spatial patterns, such as magnetic patterns on credit cards. The invention includes storage of information from which patterns may be created, a pattern creation device for creating the spatial patterns, and control whereby the information which is stored is selectively utilized to cause the pattern creation. This allows multiple desired patterns to be simulated, allowing convenient replacement of a number of separate pattern carrying devices.

Abstract: Measurement of the relative timing between images and associated information, for example video and audio. Image mutual event characteristics are recognized in the images and associated mutual event characteristics are recognized in the associated information. The image mutual events and associated mutual events are compared to determine their occurrences, one relative to the other as a measure of relative timing. Particular operation with audio and video signals is described.

Abstract: The present invention uses artificially generated unobtrusive audio and video synchronization events, which are essentially undetectable by normal human viewers, to send audio and video synchronization information by encoding audio and video events in normal program audio and video datastreams. By proper generation of unobtrusive audio and video synchronization events, and by proper use of modern electronics and software to automatically extract such unobtrusive synchronization events from audio and video signals, audio and video synchronization can be nearly continually provided, despite many rapid shifts in cameras and audio sources, without generating obtrusive events that distract the viewer or detract from the actual program material.

Abstract: The present invention uses artificially generated unobtrusive audio and video synchronization events, which are essentially undetectable by normal human viewers, to send audio and video synchronization information by encoding audio and video events in normal program audio and video datastreams. By proper generation of unobtrusive audio and video synchronization events, and by proper use of modern electronics and software to automatically extract such unobtrusive synchronization events from audio and video signals, audio and video synchronization can be nearly continually provided, despite many rapid shifts in cameras and audio sources, without generating obtrusive events that distract the viewer or detract from the actual program material.

Abstract: Measurement of the relative timing between images and associated information, for example video and audio. Image mutual event characteristics are recognized in the images and associated mutual event characteristics are recognized in the associated information. The image mutual events and associated mutual events are compared to determine their occurrences, one relative to the other as a measure of relative timing. Particular operation with audio and video signals is described.

Abstract: The apparatus and method described herein provides for creating multiple spatial patterns, such as magnetic patterns on credit cards. The invention includes storage of information from which patterns may be created, a pattern creation device for creating the spatial patterns, and control whereby the information which is stored is selectively utilized to cause the pattern creation. This allows multiple desired patterns to be simulated, allowing convenient replacement of a number of separate pattern carrying devices.

Abstract: Measurement of the relative timing between images and associated information, for example video and audio. Image mutual event characteristics are recognized in the images and associated mutual event characteristics are recognized in the associated information. The image mutual events and associated mutual events are compared to determine their occurrences, one relative to the other as a measure of relative timing. is Particular operation with audio and video signals is described.

Abstract: This invention is a method and apparatus for identifying and separating the synchronizing signal component of video like signals by identifying or detecting the arrangement or sequence of the known occurances of events or patterns of the sync. The invention also provides for establishing data slicing references in response to the levels of known portions of the sync component.

Abstract: The present invention provides a synchronizing signal separation. In accordance with the present invention, a sync pulse processing circuitry slices a video signal and senses the peaks of the synchronizing pulse. A reference generating circuitry divides the output from the sync pulse processing circuitry into a plurality of reference signals that are compared with the video signal, thereby producing logic level outputs. A sync restoring circuitry combines the logic level outputs to provide precisely reconstructed synchronizing pulses of the video signal. The present invention incorporates different standard functions with superior performance because it may be applied for different types of video signals.