Abstract: A video decoder provides an interface enabling a User to create, manage and maintain favorite service lists for facilitating User navigation through a complex array of multimedia services. The on-screen display interface system generates an abbreviated menu list of favorite multimedia services available from both local and remote sources to enable navigation through user selected favorite services. A database associates individual services and corresponding menu items in the favorite services menu with their respective sources and supports service selection, tuning and acquisition. Additional abbreviated lists of favorite multimedia services, comprising sub-sets of parent service lists, are also hierarchically displayed in response to User command in order to facilitate and focus a search for a desired service.

Abstract: A cache enabling architecture in which an optical storage reading and/or writing device, a caching processor and a mass writing and reading device are each connected to a data bus. The optical storage reading and/or writing device exchanges information directly with the caching processor over the data bus. The caching uses the mass writing and reading device as cache memory.

Abstract: In an MPEG compatible image signal processor an MPEG data stream is decoded, decompressed and recompressed before blocks of image pixel values are stored in memory. The recompression system evaluates block data to determine the range and minimum pixel values for a given image block of pixels values. These values are encoded, and the encoded representations are stored in a parameter field with the quantized data block to facilitate data reconstruction. Encoding occurs by fitting the actual range and minimum values to a predetermined set of values. Each selected predetermined value is then encoded as a three-bit index in the parameter field. Storing the encoded values with the quantized data facilitates reconstruction with minimal error. Also, encoding the values preserves memory for the quantized data.

Abstract: A device for estimating motion between a current image and a previous image by block matching, the images being split into blocks. The device includes a processing circuit for each candidate motion vector and at least one memory. Each processing circuit calculates errors between a block of the current image and the block designated by a respective candidate motion vector in the previous image. The processing circuit successively receives pixels of the current image according to a line scan at a first input and corresponding pixels of the previous image identified by the associated candidate motion vector at a second input. The processing circuit calculates partial sums at the end of line of each block of the current image corresponding to accumulated errors for this block. The processing circuits further include an output for delivering the partial sums and a third input for receiving the partial sums.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and device for labeling a region in which the regions are defined by the juxtaposition of segments of a line, which are portions of a line. During a line scan of an image, the invention increments and allocates a label to each segment encountered on the current line when this segment is not connected to any segments of the preceding line. The invention allocates the same label to each segment encountered on the current line as that assigned to the segment of the preceding line when it is connected to the segment. The invention allocates the same label to each segment encountered on the current line as that assigned to the first of the segments of the preceding line. In this last case, the invention stores the relationship between the labels of the successive segments to one and the same segment of the current line.

Abstract: A method for compatibly tuning a video signal receiver to an image processing device involves generating a prompting message for display to prompt a user to initiate a command response. First and second signals are generated. Each signal incorporates the prompting message but only one of the signals is compatibly tuned to the display. The first and second signals are alternately provided to the display and the prompting message is legibly displayed when the compatibly tuned signal is provided. The signal that is compatibly tuned to the display is selected in response to the command.

Abstract: Channel map information includes program map table information in packetized program information used in video processing and storage medium formats. In a digital video system for decoding an MPEG compatible datastream containing MPEG compatible program map table information, channel map information is identified and assembled. The channel map information identifies individual packetized datastreams that constitute a broadcast program. The channel map information associates a broadcast channel with packet identifiers used to identify individual packetized datastreams that constitute a program transmitted in the broadcast channel. The channel map information replicates information conveyed in the MPEG compatible program map table information.

Abstract: Noise reduction circuitry, in a video signal compression apparatus of the predictive DPCM compression type includes a simple nonlinear processing element within the DPCM loop to eliminate residues between predicted and real image signals, which are smaller than a predetermined value. Elimination of such residues dramatically reduces the amount of compressed data generated for signals including even modest amounts of noise.

Abstract: Packetized video program information used in video processing and storage medium formats includes program related text messages. A decoder decodes packetized video program information including program related text messages. The decoder determines a broadcast programming time segment associated with a desired program related text message and identifies program related text message data occurring in the determined broadcast programming time segment. The decoder acquires the identified program related text message data and formats the text message data for display.

Abstract: Program channels are allocated first and second identification numbers in packetized program information used in video processing and storage medium formats. Packetized program information is decoded to provide data content of a program. Channel map information in the packetized program information is identified. The channel map includes a first identification number for use in identifying a first broadcast sub-channel and the first identification number is associated with a first broadcast source. The channel map also includes a second identification number for use in identifying the first broadcast sub-channel from among a group of sub-channels associated with the first identification number. The identified information is assembled to form a channel map suitable for use in identifying a program transmitted on the first broadcast channel using the first and second identification numbers in conjunction.

Abstract: The computation-intensive task of motion estimation for video signals is performed by block search methods using apparatus of reduced complexity. Motion estimation is performed by analyzing only specific bits, e.g. one or two MSBs, of the picture element values. These bits are logic-linked by means of EXOR and/or EXNOR functions, and the individual results for different block positions of a current block within a search window are combined. The respective motion vector for the current block is determined by using a minimum or maximum comparison.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a wipe sequence on a display device from incoming compressed video bitstreams, accomplishes the wipe function processing entirely in the compressed domain of the compressed video bitstreams. The old and new video bitstreams or sequences separately undergo a 2-dimensional convolution between its decoded DCT coefficients and stored DCT coefficients of a particular known wipe function. Each convolved bitstream is buffered with its quantization scale and then summed with the other. The summed output bitstream is used by a multiplexer along with each bitstream's decoded macroblock data to provide a seamed output bitstream. A controller controls the process such as frame correlation for convolution and output multiplexing of the summed bitstreams.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a sequence of control commands for a unit (40) to be controlled is proposed. In this case, the apparatus has first decoding means (22) which are designed to decode a predetermined set of control commands. In this case, this predetermined set of control commands also contains an end command (CMD.sub.-- END), which indicates the end of a control command sequence. In order also to be able to process control command sequences having control commands which are not contained in the predetermined set, the apparatus has further decoding means (23) which are designed in such a way that when an unknown control command (SET.sub.-- BAREA) arrives, they react in the same way as when the end command (CMD.sub.-- END) from the predetermined set of control commands arrives. Undefined states are thereby prevented.

Abstract: Packetized program information used in video processing and storage medium formats includes multiple text strings. A decoder decodes packetized program information containing multiple text strings associated with a program. The decoder determines from a first indicator in the packetized program information a type of coding and compression employed in encoding a first text string. The decoder decodes the first text string with a decoding function selected in accordance with the determined type of coding and assembles decoded text string elements to form an output text string.

Abstract: A decoder conditional access system incorporates different encryption systems for providing access to programs derived from different sources. A conditional access processor for processing encrypted program data and an associated encryption code includes a first algorithm means for decrypting the encryption code to provide an encryption key. The conditional access processor also includes a second algorithm means for encrypting the encryption key and the second encryption algorithm is different to the first encryption algorithm. A datastream representing the program is generated from encrypted program data and an associated encryption code. The encryption code is decrypted to provide an encryption key using a first algorithm. The encryption key is encrypted using a second algorithm different to the first encryption algorithm and the program datastream is formed from the encrypted program data and the encrypted encryption key.

Abstract: A method for encoding a digitized audio signal which includes the step of selecting one of two or more psycho acoustic model provided for generating masking thresholds used in a data reduction process. The selecting criterion is the available data rate for the encoded bit stream. Each one of the two or more psycho acoustic models is adapted to a specific data rate of the encoded bit stream. In a second embodiment, the method includes the step of combining two or more masking thresholds resulting from different psycho acoustic models, thereby leading to a more accurate calculation of a masking threshold for the data reduction process. Further, there are appropriate apparatuses for the encoding of digitized audio signals.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of synchronization of clocks wherein, in a system including a digital decoder of a receiver equipped with a sampling clock and a digital encoder of an transmitter also equipped with a sampling clock, said method includes the following stages: in the transmitter, coding by packets of samples of a signal by time intervals of predetermined duration and triggering of the transmission of a data frame when a packet of data is ready to be sent; in the receiver, detection of start of said frame, and generation of a reference signal following said detection, said reference signal being used to correct the clock of the receiver.

Abstract: A process for converting interlaced frames into progressive frames comprising a change of frame frequency by interpolation and motion compensation, wherein when a motion vector associated with a pixel to be interpolated is non-zero or when the motion vector is zero but the confidence accorded to this vector is less than a given threshold, the interpolation of the pixel of a frame situated temporally between two input frames is carried out by a median filtering pertaining to the values obtained by a first motion compensated linear temporal filter, a second motion compensated linear filter, and a motion compensated median temporal filter.

Abstract: In the case of the storage or transmission of moving images, it is frequently necessary to reduce the large number of information items by means of suitable compression methods. In order to estimate the movement, the image to be coded is in this case split into blocks, and each of these reference blocks R is compared with blocks of the same size of the preceding image, and a movement information item is derived. Conventional methods for movement estimation in this case use all the pixels in the reference block R and in the search area S. Since this very complicated method requires very fast, and thus expensive, hardware, the so-called quincunx undersampling is applied to the search area S. In the case of the reference block R, one quincunx undersampled pixel is used for even parity of the movement vector and the other quincunx undersampled pixel is used for odd parity, depending on which position is being investigated.

Abstract: A method is proposed for checking convergence in fractal image coding. In this case, a digitized image is divided into a number of range blocks (R.sub.i, R.sub.i+1) and into a number of domain blocks (D.sub.j, D.sub.k). A similar domain block is determined in relation to each range block. If necessary, in this process a transformation of a domain block is undertaken in order to map the domain block onto a range block. The assignment of the domain block to the range block including the transformation parameters represents the fractal code for the image. A reduced transformation matrix is set up to check convergence of the fractal code. The largest absolute eigenvalue of the transformation matrix is determined approximately. The entire method can be carried out in this case hierarchically. In a first approximation step, at least the row sum norm of each row of the reduced transformation matrix is checked. In further steps, further rows are combined to form square matrices of higher dimension.