Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for image privacy protection and actionable response includes distorting an analog image captured using an image capture device in a residential, industrial or commercial environment using a transform filter, digitizing the distorted analog image, analyzing the distorted, digitized image using a trained machine learning process to identify at least one of an individual or an object in the distorted, digitized image, the machine learning process having been trained to identify individuals and objections in the distorted image, and upon identification of at least one of an individual or an object in the distorted image for which action is to be taken, communicating an indication to at least one device in the residential, commercial or industrial environment to cause the device to perform a predetermined action.

Abstract: Modules and control units cooperate to simultaneously and independently control and adjust pixel parameters non-uniformly at regional increments across an entire image captured in an image frame by pixels in a pixel array. Pixel parameter changes for pixels in a given region occur, based on i) a contextual understanding of what contextually was happening in the one or more prior image frames and ii) whether salient items are located within that region. Additionally, guidance is sent to the sensor control unit to i) increase or decrease pixel parameters within those regions with salient items and then either to i) maintain, ii) increase or iii) decrease pixel parameters within regions without salient items in order to stay within any i) bandwidth limitations ii) memory storage, and/or iii) power consumptions limitations imposed by 1) one or more image sensors or 2) the communication loop between the sensor control unit and the image processing unit.

Abstract: Modules and control units cooperate to simultaneously and independently control and adjust pixel parameters non-uniformly at regional increments across an entire image captured in an image frame by pixels in a pixel array. Pixel parameter changes for pixels in a given region occur, based on i) a contextual understanding of what contextually was happening in the one or more prior image frames and ii) whether salient items are located within that region. Additionally, guidance is sent to the sensor control unit to i) increase or decrease pixel parameters within those regions with salient items and then either to i) maintain, ii) increase or iii) decrease pixel parameters within regions without salient items in order to stay within any i) bandwidth limitations ii) memory storage, and/or iii) power consumptions limitations imposed by 1) one or more image sensors or 2) the communication loop between the sensor control unit and the image processing unit.

Abstract: A method of forming a digital packet stream, the stream including transport packets. The method can include receiving a packet ID in a transport stream, determining if the packet ID includes a video ID, determining if a coded video frame starts a transport packet, and if a coded video frame starts a transport packet, inserting an Internet protocol/user datagram protocol (IP/UDP) header ahead of a transport packet header. The received transport stream can be an MPEG-2 transport stream. A method of forming a digital packet stream can include receiving a packet ID, determining if the packet ID includes a video ID, determining if a coded video frame starts a transport packet; determining a priority of the video frame, and inserting an IP/UDP header ahead of a transport packet header.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing delivery of video over a digital-subscriber line is provided. The method includes and the apparatus is adapted for receiving at a multiplexer information indicative of an upstream volume of video traffic for termination to the multiplexer, and for controlling the multiplexer in response to the information. Controlling the multiplexer in response to the information may include regulating, in accordance with the upstream volume of traffic, an amount of traffic buffered by the multiplexer.

Abstract: A system and method of compressing a video signal can include the steps of: receiving a video signal, the video signal including frames; analyzing, for each frame, the video signal on a macroblock-by-macroblock level; determining whether to downsample a macroblock residual for each of the macroblocks; selectively downsampling a macroblock residual for some of the macroblocks; and coding the macroblocks. A system and method of decompressing a video signal can include the steps of receiving a compressed video signal, the video signal including frames; analyzing, for each frame, the video signal on a macroblock-by-macroblock level; determining whether to upsample a macroblock residual for each of the macroblocks; selectively upsampling a macroblock residual for some of the macroblocks; and decoding the macroblocks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding a data sequence is disclosed. A data sequence is received. The data sequence is encoded such that the encoded data sequence comprises a plurality of data elements having assigned priorities. Data packets are generated using the encoded data sequence, where each data packet comprises only data elements of identical priority. The data packets are tagged with a priority descriptor indicating the priority of the data elements contained therein. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for processing at least one packet. At least one packet is received, where each packet includes a priority descriptor that indicates a priority of at least one data element contained therein. Packets may then be selectively discarded based upon the priority descriptor.

Abstract: A system for reducing piracy of protected digital content. An integrated module with public and private keys sends the public key along with a request for content to a transaction manager. The transaction manager uses the public key to produce a specially encrypted content bitstream which is sent to the integrated module. The integrated module uses the private key to decrypt the specially encrypted content bitstream to produce analog information that is available for subsequent use. The decrypted content bitstream is physically protected from access. Furthermore, the analog information can be watermarked such that re-digitizing the analog information would produce a traceable watermarked copy of the content.

Abstract: In a cathode ray tube, plural electron beams are directed towards a faceplate biased at screen potential and are magnetically scanned by a non-self-converging deflection yoke across the faceplate to impinge upon phosphors thereon to produce light depicting an image. The plural electron beams are substantially converged near two opposing edges of the faceplate. A processor changes the raster of the image from a first raster corresponding to position of the image to a second raster corresponding to the position of the plural electron beams on the faceplate. One or more electrodes between the tube neck and the faceplate are biased above and/or below screen potential to deflect electrons landing near the periphery of the faceplate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating multiple unique copies of content is disclosed. In one embodiment, at least two content versions are provided. The at least two content versions are alternated in order to provide uniquely marked content. In another embodiment, a plurality of content versions are provided. Content is unlocked in accordance with a keyset. In another embodiment, a content stream having a plurality of segments is provided. One or more segments are selected from the content stream in accordance with a keyset.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inserting a low frequency watermark into a compressed data stream carrying compressed content is disclosed. A portion of the compressed data stream is decoded to generate decoded content. The decoded content is analyzed to generate watermark insertion information. The compressed content is embedded with a low frequency watermark using the watermark insertion information.

Abstract: A channel is inserted into a sequence of frames for an image, by varying one or more display characteristics of the resulting image across the display. The watermark and other data channel may be employed to watermark the video signal, and the watermark may correspond to the presence of the channel or may be data in accordance with watermark information carried within the channel. For most display devices, display variations are minimized during the design process, but human viewers may still tolerate and accept subtle variations in a displayed image. For exemplary embodiments in accordance with the present invention, slightly changing one or more display characteristics from center-to-side in accordance with watermark information allows for watermarking of the image since viewers may not be aware that display characteristics are changing. For example, a tapering function may be used in a transmitter to vary one or more color components of the video signal representing the image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for embedding data in an encoded video bitstream, for example, an MPEG or MPEG-like bitstream, wherein the bitstream includes redundantly coded syntax element values of which one is an overriding value, includes mandatorily coding the syntax element overriding value and replacing the non-overriding syntax element value with the data to be embedded. Apparatus for embedding data in such bitstream includes a coder creating the coded video bitstream with such value mandatorily coded in the overriding syntax element position therein, and a data inserter for inserting the data to be embedded into the non-overriding syntax element position. In an MPEG compressed bitstream, the quantization scale code (QSC) value is mandatorily explicitly coded in the first coded macroblock following a slice header and the embedded data is inserted into the QSC position in the slice header.

Abstract: A channel is inserted into a sequence of frames for an image, by varying one or more display characteristics across a display in accordance with a spatio-temporal pattern applied to, for example, successive lines of each modified frame. The channel may be employed to watermark the image, and the watermark may be defined as W(x) and its complement [1−W(x)] in counter-phase rotations of successive lines in pairs of frames. The watermark information is applied in relatively still portions of the image with sufficient lightness level. A receiver includes a watermark detector that has a priori information about the watermark. The watermark detector examines specific regions of the displayed image over time, and tests the regions for the watermark during time intervals when the image remains relatively still.

Abstract: A channel is inserted into a sequence of frames for an image, by varying one or more display characteristics of the resulting image across the display in accordance with a spatio-temporal pattern applied to, for example, successive lines of each modified frame. In some cases, a reverse of the pattern is applied to a successive frame, and the frames modified are preferably B-frames if the image may be encoded in accordance with an MPEG standard. The channel may be employed to watermark the image, and the watermark may correspond to the presence of the channel or may be data in accordance with watermark information carried within the channel. For most display devices, display variations are minimized during the design process, but human viewers may still tolerate and accept subtle variations in a displayed image.

Abstract: In a cathode ray tube, plural electron beams are directed towards a faceplate biased at screen potential and are magnetically scanned by a non-self-converging deflection yoke across the faceplate to impinge upon phosphors thereon to produce light depicting an image. The plural electron beams are substantially converged near two opposing edges of the faceplate. A processor changes the raster of the image from a first raster corresponding to position of the image to a second raster corresponding to the position of the plural electron beams on the faceplate. One or more electrodes between the tube neck and the faceplate are biased above and/or below screen potential to deflect electrons landing near the periphery of the faceplate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that inserts watermark information directly into an encoded video bitstream. The method identifies specific blocks or macroblocks in an encoded video bitstieam and inserts the watermark information directly into the bitstream such that these selected blocks are replaced with a block containing watermark information or augmented with watermark information.

Abstract: A film/video detector includes circuitry for generating the differences between corresponding pixel values in successive frames of video signal. These differences are accumulated over respective frame intervals. Accumulated values for respective frames are applied to a signal averager and to a correlation circuit. Average values from the averager are subtracted from correlation values from the correlation circuit, and film mode signal is indicated if the latter differences are greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for reducing unwanted jagged diagonal artifacts in a video signal. At an encoder, moving image information is intraframe averaged over a given frequency range, e.g., above 1.5 MHz, while still image information is subjected to a field repeat process over a given frequency range. At a decoder, still image information is subjected to a frame repeat process over the given field repeat frequency range, while moving image information is left unchanged.

Abstract: In a widescreen television signal processing system, a side panel high frequency luminance information component and a side panel color difference information component are combined and processed as a combined signal by a noise reduction encoder, time expander and filter before modulating an auxiliary subcarrier. After demodulation at the decoder, the combined signal is filtered, time compressed and processed by a noise reduction unit before being separated into its constituent components.