Abstract: An eyeglass for improved vision that includes a light source mounted on the eyeglass pointing to an eye and a controller on at least one arm of the eyeglass. An eyeglass wearer can turn on the light source and increase an intensity of light emerging from the light source by using a thumb wheel in the controller. The light source causes a contraction of an iris of the eye thereby requiring a less part exposure of a lens of the eye. The less part exposure of the lens improves vision of the eyeglass wearer. The light source can be arranged to point at least one or both the eyes of the eyeglass wearer. The eyeglass can include a plurality of light sources in different positions that can be selectively turned on by the thumb wheel and can accommodate any suitable controller.

Abstract: An earpiece unit is held adjacent to or within a cell phone. The earpiece includes a microphone and speaker and is wearable in a user's ear. The earpiece is docked within the housing of a cell phone and can be used in the docked position to operate the phone. A user can push on the back of the earpiece to eject the earpiece from the phone housing so that the earpiece can be easily inserted into the user's ear. The user can be provided with a “pause” control on the cell phone that indicates to the cell phone system that a call is going to be answered. Upon activation of the “pause” control, the cell phone system can pause its efforts to establish communications and/or temporarily reduce the intensity of transmissions. A message is sent to the caller notifying that the call is about to be answered.

Abstract: The invention allows a user to select a text option displayed on a display device during playback of an interactive production. The action of the production continues regardless of whether the user selects an option. Options expire after an active time interval. After the active time interval the option can no longer be selected and is considered “expired.” Expired options are eventually removed from the display and new options appear. A time indicator is used to alert the user that an option is going to expire. Any type of time indicator can be used including a numerical readout of the remaining active time for an option, an animation that shows that the option is about to expire, a symbol, color change, intensity change, animation, etc., can be used as a time indicator.

Abstract: A ticker tape PiP system that provides for viewing the ticker tape image portion from one image signal (e.g., a ticker tape image portion of a television image signal), while viewing at least a portion of an image from a different image signal (i.e., a standard television program image). The ticker tape PiP system includes an image display device, a first tuner and a second tuner. The first and second tuners are configured to receive first and second image signals and to output corresponding first and second video signals, respectively. The ticker tape PiP system also includes a video switching subsystem for receiving the first and second video signals and for selectively switching an output to the image display device between (i) an RGB formatted display signal derived from the first video signal and (ii) an RGB formatted display signal derived from the second video signal that corresponds only to a ticker tape image portion of the second video signal.

Abstract: A system for reducing blind spots in various situations, such as in an automobile. The invention uses display screen surfaces to cover objects that are opaque, or objects which it is difficult to see through. Small cameras are used to generate images on the display screens that correspond to images that a viewer would see in the absence of the objects. For example, where the left windshield post of a car is covered with a display screen, the invention uses a camera that receives image information from the left-front of the car. The image information is used by a processor to compute what the driver would see if the door post were not there. A preferred embodiment uses the driver's viewpoint to generate a more accurate screen display. The screen display approximates images that the driver would see so that the images mesh, or are coherent with, other images presented to the driver such as the views through the front windshield and driver's side window.

Abstract: A system for optimizing data storage and retrieval by an audio/video system using a number of different tables is disclosed. According to one aspect of the system, the system includes two different types of hierarchical file allocation tables (HFATs), a contiguous space table, a track table and a list table. The two different types of HFATs are a 0th order HFAT and a 1st order HFAT. Each of the two types of HFATs contains a number of entries. Each 0th order HFAT entry corresponds to a specific disk block and each 1st order HFAT entry corresponds to a specific subdivision within a subdivided disk block. A 0th order HFAT entry and an 1st order HFAT entry is linkable to one another to allow disk blocks and subdivisions which make up a file to be identified. The contiguous space table is used to store information relating to the location and availability of contiguous spaces or disk blocks. The track table contains a number of records. Each record, in turn, contains various track, HMSF and descriptor information.

Abstract: A system for improved digital data compression in an audio encoder. A threshold is established which depends on the bit rate of the input data. A determination is made whether the bit rate is above or below the established threshold. A masking index is calculated for the input data according to a first formula if the input data is being transmitted at a rate at or below the threshold. A second formula is used to calculate the masking index if the input data is being transmitted at a rate above the threshold. The masking index is used to generate a masking threshold, and data deemed insignificant relative to the masking threshold is ignored. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a psycho-acoustic modeler, which is included in the encoding section of an encoding/decoding (CODEC) circuit, is used to determine a masking index. The masking index is then used to generate a masking threshold.

Abstract: A system providing a user interface to annotate different items in a media production system such as in a digital non-linear post production system. Parts of the production, such as clips, frames and layers, that have an associated annotation are provided with a visual annotation marker. The annotation marker can use shape, color or animation to convey source, urgency, status or other information. Annotations can be text, freehand drawing, audio, or other. Annotations can be automatically generated. Annotations can be compiled into records, searched and transferred. A state of an application program can be stored and transferred to a remote system. The remote system attempts to recreate the original state of the application program. If the remote system is unable to do so, an image of the state of the application program is obtained, instead. Assignment of control to various functions of an application program is achieved by associating a function (i.e.

Abstract: Digital signal processing systems and methods for smoothing out an audio signal having an abrupt transition in volume. A DSP in an audio visual recording device is configured to smooth out discontinuous volume transitions in an audio signal during encoding. Such abrupt, discontinuous changes can occur when a user instructs the recording device to pause and resume during recording or when the user changes channels during recording. The DSP applies a transform that linearly increases or decreases the volume over one or more audio frames from the first volume level to the next volume level after the abrupt change.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method which serves as a refinement in the criteria used to improve the performance of audio signal processing systems. More specifically, the present invention provides a method by which the frequency and magnitude of artifacts added to audio signal data in an encoder device can be reduced. The encoding device through which the audio signal passes includes a filter bank for filtering source audio data to produce frequency sub-bands, a psycho-acoustic modeler for calculating signal to masking ratios from the frequency sub-bands of the source audio data, and a bit allocator for assigning for using the signal to masking ratios to assign a finite number of bits to represent the frequency sub-bands. In the absence of a significant event, the bit allocator performs a pre-bit allocation procedure to prevent artifacts or discontinuities in the encoded audio data.

Abstract: A system for data transfer between different clock domains, and for efficiently obtaining the status of a memory device utilized during the process of data transfer. The different clock domains include a first clock domain controlled by a first frequency and a second clock domain controlled by a second frequency different from the first frequency. The system features a first counter circuitry operating at the first clock frequency which increments in response to a write control signal. The system further features first and second sync circuitries for translating write and read signals, and a second counter circuitry operating at the second clock frequency, which decrements in response to the read control signal. In addition, the first circuitry decrements in response to the read signal while the second circuitry increments in response to a write signal. In this manner, the first and second counter circuitries reflect the status of the memory device used for buffering data during the data transfer.

Abstract: A stream based bitrate transcoder for MPEG bitstreams that utilizes information extracted from MPEG bitstreams, such as picture-type, coding complexity, motion vector and MB-mode. Using this information, a stream-based bitrate conversion of rhythm is realized. DCT coefficients are dropped with regard to two components, specifically, picture/MB-level classification and motion reference calculation.

Abstract: A helmet can be secured using a front fork lock by placing an end of the motorcycle's handlebars through the helmet and then locking the handlebars. In some configurations a sturdy protrusion, such as metal, graphite, etc., is affixed to an end of the handlebars or to a part of the motorcycle frame to make removal of the helmet in the locked position impossible, or very difficult. Different embodiments disclose a protrusion attached to an end of a hand grip, to a swing point on a handlebar, or some other portion of a handlebar. Protrusions can also be affixed to the motorcycle frame. Protrusions can be made to swing out for securing a helmet and to swing flush with the motorcycle frame to prevent unwanted encumbrance to a rider. Other embodiments disclose protective ways to attach the protrusions so that they cannot be easily removed.

Abstract: A system and method for editing a bitstream is provided. A first segment is cut from a first bitstream and a second segment is cut from a second bitstream. In cutting the segments from the bitstreams, first and last GOPs in the segments can be cut between frames in the GOP. The number of frames of the broken GOP is then compared to a pre-determined threshold value. If the number of frames of the broken GOP is less than or equal to the threshold value, the broken GOP is combined with a neighboring GOP. Therefore, the newly created GOP is longer than the standard size regular GOP. However, if the number of frames in the broken GOP is greater than the threshold value, a new GOP is created with the frames of the broken GOP. Therefore, the newly created GOP is shorter than the standard size regular GOP.

Abstract: A translator for converting items of interactive program guide data to data structures that are more universal to handle with popular platforms, operating systems, tools, utilities and other hardware and software processors and resources. The invention uses C++ class objects and structures. The objects and structures are placed into a Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) “wrapper.” This allows the objects to be handled by platform-independent interfaces so that the system is easily adaptable to different hardware devices and software functionality. Aspects of the invention include the translation from custom IPG formats to CORBA-wrapped C++ objects, the storage of the objects, transmission of the objects among devices, and data entry and error handling of information represented by the objects.

Abstract: A musical instrument tuner includes a display screen. A user can select predetermined configurations such as for guitar, bass guitar, violin, cello, etc. Popular detuned settings for guitars, such as “drop-D,” one half-step down, etc. can be provided as selectable presets with the display configuration changing to provide appropriate indicators. Bass guitars or other instruments that come in models having different numbers of strings can easily be accommodated with presets or through user customization. A user can also create a customized tuner with arbitrary note detection so that any instrument or user preference can be configured after the point of sale with a single manufactured device. In one embodiment, the tuner mounts adjacent to an instrument, such as a guitar, by using a standard ¼″ plug. The tuner has a display screen that pivots to permit viewing on different types of guitars. A model is disclosed that is suitable for both left and right handed guitar players.

Abstract: A fast, memory efficient, lookup table-based system for VLC decoding. Code words are grouped by prefix and recoded to reduce the number of bits that must be matched, thus reducing the memory requirements. General-purpose processor and finite state machine decoder implementations are described.

Abstract: A filter table provides a framework in which queries are efficiently and easily developed to access a gene expression database. The filter table is used to filter a plurality of expression levels to return a reduced set of expression levels, which may be further queried to provide more specific results. Using the filtering and querying provided one can easily identify genes or expressed sequence tags whose expression correlates to particular tissue types. Various tissue types may correspond to different diseases, states of disease progression, different organs, different species, etc. Researchers may now use large-scale gene expression databases to full advantage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interconnecting multiple programmable logic devices. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an interconnect chip couples one programmable logic device to another programmable logic device. The interface between devices takes place within the interconnect chip, which can be configured using available routing software, thereby sparing the user the task of routing the connections between devices on the board.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transcoding architecture and a consumer set-top box with storage capability that is based on the transcoding architecture and capable of operating efficiently in an all-digital environment. In a preferred embodiment, a digital-VIDEO DEVICE employs an MPEG-2 compliant transcoder that includes a simplified cascaded decoder and encoder, and is capable of performing determinable bitrate re-encoding without conducting motion estimation. During recording, the decoder receives and processes a compressed source bitstream, producing a decoded bitstream that includes reconstructed video and preserved motion vectors. The encoder “re-encodes” the decoded bitstream using the preserved motion vectors and performs any applicable bitrate modifications. The re-encoded bitstream is then stored.