Abstract: A compact disk drive controller to control the access of information from an optical compact disk (CD) digital data storage device by a host computer using an integrated drive electronics (IDE) data bus or an industry standard architecture (ISA) data bus is disclosed. A digital signal processor (DSP) interface to the drive electronics of the CD drive, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) controller, an error correction code (ECC) data corrector, an error detection and correction (EDC) device employing cyclical redundancy checking techniques (EDC/CRC), and a host computer interface are described.

Abstract: A software plug-in module extends the functionality of a standard printer driver. For example, the plug-in facilities the ability to provide a customizable user interface. The plug-in also facilitates the use of multiple forms of color management and half-tone screening. Further, the plug-in provides a system and method for determining the status of a printing device.

Abstract: Method and system for optimally estimating the location of each of a sequence of two or more synchronization patterns in a digital signal bit stream. A first reference location for a sync pattern is determined. A Boolean product or other product of the sync pattern (of length S) with S consecutive bit values of the digital stream is formed, for each of a selected consecutive sequence of candidates for a second reference location of the sync pattern within a window of selected length. A candidate reference location that yields the largest (or smallest) product value within the window is estimated to be a second or “next” reference location of the sync pattern, if the product value is at least equal to (or, alternatively, is no greater than) a selected threshold value. The sync pattern used for testing the digital stream can be varied from one location to another. The number of bit matches or the number of bit non-matches can be used to determine an optimal reference location for the sync pattern.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of adaptively enhancing a digital image based on image content. An accurate determination of image type permits implementation of an image enhancement technique that is matched to the image type. The method is advantageous when the image type of the received images can vary. In one embodiment the method distinguishes between line art images and continuous tone images. The method includes application of a window to a pixels in a source array. The number of colors in each of the resulting windowed arrays is determined. Each color can optionally be defined as a range of colors. A color range total is calculated from the sum of the number of windowed arrays in one or more subsets of the plurality of possible numbers of colors. Image type is determined in response to the color range total and an enhancement process matched to the image type is applied to the digital image data.

Abstract: A timing circuit used in reading disc media or other dada includes multiple sync detection circuits. In the event that an active sync detection circuit fails to detect sync signals within predefined parameters, a different one of the sync detection circuits searches for a sync pattern. Uniquely definable sequences of sync patterns are used to determine a position of sync patterns within a sector of data.

Abstract: The illustrated embodiment processes scanned image data with a resolution of 600 dpi or higher. Image detection algorithms are used to detect the probable presence of halftone image data, large text image data, small text image data and photographic image data. The image detection algorithms are designed specifically for the amount of data contained in an image with a resolution of 600 dpi or greater. Once an image has been analyzed, the illustrated embodiment provides the correspondingly appropriate image process to the scanned image.

Abstract: Method and system for indicating that at least one row or column of a DVD data block has an uncorrectable number of errors, by marking or flagging the corrupted codewords of a codeword with defect detect signals. When a column (or row) of the data block is found to contain more than a thereshold number of errors, a selected number w of distinguishable codeword values (DSVs) “x” is associated with at least one column (or with at least one row) of the block. When the block is further processed and the presence of more than a threshold number of DSVs is sensed, the system interprets this occurrence as indicating that an uncorrectable group of errors has occurred in a column and/or row of the block.

Abstract: Methods and devices for compressing and uncompressing three color component graphics and/or digital video data for storage to and retrieval from a reduced memory space, while allocating memory space for pixel data special attribute, such as a transparency attribute. 24 bit video data, for example, may be compressed and stored along with 2 bits of transparency data in a 16-bit memory space, without undue loss of fidelity relative to the original graphics and/or video data. The stored and compressed video data may be uncompressed and a correction factor may be selectively applied to each of the three component pixel data. The resulting uncompressed pixel data matches or closely resembles the video data prior to compression and storage. The correction factor may vary depending upon the color space of the graphics and/or video pixel data.

Abstract: A signal conversion system parses a multi-dimensional input signal into most-significant and least-significant portions. The most-significant portions are used as an index to a look-up-table. Stored in each entry of the look-up-table is a base value and multi-dimensional differential values. The system generates an output representation of the signal by combining the corresponding base value with interpolated differences determined by interpolation performed using the differential values and the least-significant portions. Interpolation error is decreased by storing intermediate differential values. Output processing is used for linearization.

Abstract: Method and system for incdicating that at least one C2 codeword or C1 codeword of a CD data block has an uncorrectable number of errors, by marking or flagging the corrupted symbols of a codeword with defect signals. When a C1 codeword (or C2 codeword) of the data block is found to contain more than a threshold number of errors, a selected number w of distinguishable symbol values (DSVs) is associated with at least one C1 codeword (or with at least one C2 codeword) of the block. When the block is further processed and the presence of more than a threshold number of DSVs is sensed, the system interprets this occurrence as indicating that an uncorrectable group of errors has occurred in a C1 codeword and/or in a C2 codeword of the block.

Abstract: Method and system for compensating for a segment length of one or more of three consecutive mark and space segments utilized in a computer system. The three segments are received at a first pre-processor, the first segment is separated and issued separately from the remaining two segments, and the first segment length is compared with a permitted range of lengths. If the first segment length is not within the permitted range, a first error signal is issued, preferably indicating the non-complying first length. This process is repeated at second and third pre-processors. A segment processor receives the three individual segments and the error signals and non-complying lengths, if any, and compensates or corrects for any non-complying segment lengths before further processing occurs.

Abstract: A proxy subsystem for a media renderer comprises a network interface, a content transfer subsystem coupled to the network interface, a format transcoder coupled to the content transfer subsystem and capable of coupling to a rendering hardware. The proxy subsystem further comprises a connection manager service coupled to the content transfer subsystem and the format transcoder subsystem, and a rendering controller capable of coupling to the rendering hardware.

Abstract: A navigation system for a digital versatile disc system includes multiple synchronized threads, each of which separately performs a single task so that several tasks can be performed concurrently. In one embodiment, a stream parser thread, a navigation thread and a user interface thread are always created when the DVD player begins operation. In addition, a highlight thread may also be created if the DVD data stream contains highlight information. The stream parser thread receives the DVD data stream and extracts navigation commands and DVD content data from the stream. The navigation commands are sent to the navigation thread for processing, but the content data is sent to system decoders for display. The navigation thread operates separately from the stream parser thread and processes the retrieved navigation commands to select portions of the DVD data stream for display.

Abstract: an illustrative video apparatus comprises a decoder that decodes video information in a native format, an emulation controller coupled to the decoder, and a network controller coupled to the emulation controller and capable of coupling to an external network. The video apparatus also includes a storage holding an instruction sequence executable on the emulation controller. The instruction sequence comprises a code for receiving network information from the external network and converting the network information to the native format for transfer to the decoder.

Abstract: An apparatus for connecting a computer bus to a network comprises a network interface capable of coupling to an external network and an emulator coupled to the network interface. The emulator comprises a processor control block that can emulate a host processor coupled to the computer bus and a device control block that can emulate a device coupled to the computer bus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing of normalizing a bit count is provided. The method comprises counting bits for a first frame, and normalizing a target bit in a target frame using the bits of the frame. The method then comprises counting to the normalized target bit in the target frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring optical data from a DVD in response to a request from a host. When a data request is issued, a portion of the request containing the target ID for the target data block is used by a comparator circuit to locate the target data block. Another portion of the request containing the number of data blocks requested is used by a monitoring circuit to monitor data block transfer from a DVD to a data buffer once the target data block is located. The monitoring circuit stops data transfer when all of the requested data blocks have been transferred. Each data block is transferred into a data buffer containing areas separated by pointers. In a scratch area of the data buffer, the data block is error corrected, error checked and descrambled.

Abstract: An enhanced scan chain architecture includes scan cells capable of holding two sets of state data associated with the functional blocks, or “modules,” of a system (e.g., an integrated circuit, a multi-chip module, a printed circuit board, and the like), thereby rendering state data associated with a module accessible. The scan chains are employed, during normal operation, to manage (e.g., save, restore, swap, etc.) state data during multi-tasking and/or testing. Control logic redirects the input of the chain, or selected portions thereof, to a source of saved state when initiating or restoring a task; and/or redirects the output of the chain, or selected portions thereof, to a storage source when one task is interrupted and/or another task is resumed.

Abstract: In a media system that includes an emulator-enabled client media device, a server comprises a media directory, a control point, and a server application. The media directory contains a list of all available media content and at least a portion of the media content that can be accessed by the server. The control point is capable of communicating with the media directory using communication control actions that manage media system interactions. The server application is capable of communicating with the control point to select a content source and that communicates with an emulator-enabled client media device to manage processing of media content including emulation selection.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of diffusing error caused by quantizing each pixel within an image formed of a plurality of pixels, each pixel representing a greyscale value of the image at a location (n, l) within the image, and having an original greyscale value associated therewith.