Abstract: A common interface controller and a method of descrambling channels of first and second transport streams using a conditional access module for descrambling channels of a transport stream as identified by respective PIDs wherein an intermediate data stream is provided by time multiplexing at least a part of the first transport stream with at least a part of the second transport stream, the part of the first transport stream including a first channel and the part of the second transport stream including a second channel, and wherein the original value of a PID identifying the second channel is changed to an intermediate value not used by any PID of any respective channel in said at least a part of the first transport stream such that the intermediate data stream forms an intermediate transport stream for processing by the conditional access module.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for image conversion comprises calculating means operable to calculate a first metric for a selected pixel position in a current image field, the first metric being the difference between a directly preceding image field and a spatially interpolated version of the current image field at the selected pixel position; categorising means operable to categorise, on the basis of the first metric, whether the selected pixel in the current image field provides either an indeterminate, unreliable or reliable basis for the determination of apparent motion at that selected pixel position in the current image field; and adjustment means operable to adjust a parameter associated with the selected pixel depending upon the categorisation made.

Abstract: A signal format that can be accessed, as a file, by the computer on which it is stored is provided with a plurality of concatenated content packages. The content package comprises System, Picture, Audio and Auxiliary Items. The System, Picture, Audio and Auxiliary Items have a common format including a 16 byte SMPTE Universal Label, a Word Count, and Data. The Item Label has a predetermined length which is set to fixed value except for the byte identifying the Item to which the label belongs. The data of the System Item includes a set of Metadata blocks, which has an initial Metadata Count byte defining the number of blocks in the set. A metadata block may include a metadata Link which links the metadata of that block to the essence of the element of the Auxiliary Item with which element it is associated.

Abstract: A camera arrangement comprising a plurality of camera elements and a corresponding method of arranging camera elements is described. The camera arrangement improves the resolution of a stitched image by maintaining a uniform overlap between the fields of view of adjacent camera element. The uniform overlap is achieved. This is because the amount of unnecessary overlap required to achieve the required degree of overlap is reduced.

Abstract: A receiver for recovering data from a received symbol of signal samples generated in accordance with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) includes a pilot assisted channel estimator operable to generate an estimate of a transmission channel through which the received OFDM symbol has passed. The OFDM symbol includes pilot signals provided at different sub-carrier locations for each of a set of OFDM symbols, the sub-carrier locations of the pilot signals being repeated for subsequent sets of symbols. The pilot assisted channel estimator includes a pilot extractor, a time interpolation filter controller and an adaptive bandwidth interpolation filter.

Abstract: A method of displaying an image from a image store to a display device at a predetermined output frame period is described in which the image is represented by a plurality of pixels and each pixel has a colour represented by pixel values which define a position within colour space. In the display method, a plurality of regions are defined within colour space, and then each pixel value used within the image is allocated to one of the defined regions within colour space in accordance with the position in colour space of the pixel value. Then, one or more areas of the image are selected, and for each of the selected one or more areas, one of the defined regions within colour space is selected. For each selected area of the image, pixels which have a pixel value which has been allocated to the selected region within colour space are identified and add to the image store.

Abstract: A method of image processing for image conversion, comprises the steps of calculating a difference measure of the difference in pixel values between corresponding blocks of a current image field and a preceding image field, calculating a variability measure of the variability of pixel values from at least one of said corresponding blocks, determining whether the difference measure exceeds the variability measure, and if the difference measure exceeds the variability measure, then setting an inter-image mixing value for each pixel in the corresponding block of the current image field to indicate that the current image field should not be mixed with the preceding image field at that pixel position.

Abstract: A method of image processing for conversion of an image in a sequence of images comprises the steps of associating pixels of an image with respective motion values indicative of a degree of inter-image motion for each pixel; adjusting the motion value of each pixel based upon the motion value of a secondary pixel found within a first region of a first predetermined size substantially centred upon each respective pixel, said secondary pixel being that whose associated motion value is indicative of the greatest motion of any pixel in the first region; adjusting the motion value of each pixel based upon the motion value of a secondary pixel that lies within a second region of a second predetermined size substantially centred upon each respective pixel, said secondary pixel being that whose associated motion value is indicative of the least motion of any pixel in the second region; categorising each pixel as a static pixel or a motion pixel according to its respective associated motion value, and then selecting r

Abstract: Access to a data storage arrangement is provided in dependence upon a public/private key pair, the public key being held by the data storage arrangement and the private key by a removable memory device. The public key is securely held in a user directory of authorized users on the data storage arrangement, and is associated with a local version number. Another copy of the user directory is securely held by the removable memory device and is associated with an external version number. When the removable memory device is connected to the data storage arrangement to enable authentication, these version numbers are compared and the older version of the user directory is replaced with the later version. In this fashion updates to the list of authorized users can be propagated among suitably adapted devices without the use of a network.

Abstract: A digital audio processor comprises at least one digital audio sample mapping module and produces a sequence of output digital audio sample values by applying a quasi time-invariant transfer function to each input digital audio sample value, the transfer function being arranged so that a ratio of root mean square signal level to peak signal magnitude is lower for the input digital audio signal than for a corresponding portion of the output digital audio signal.

Abstract: A system for watermarking and distributing material includes a data processing apparatus, which operates as a watermark encoder. The data processing apparatus is operable to process an original material item to form a reduced-bandwidth-version of the material item, marked with a code word from a predetermined set of code words. The data processing apparatus is operable to form an impaired version of the material item from which a marked representation of the original material item can be formed. The impaired version is formed by subtracting the reduced-bandwidth-version of the material item from a copy of the original material item. As such, the impaired version can be mass distributed, but a representation of the original material item cannot be formed without the reduced-bandwidth-version of the material item.

Abstract: A digital broadcast media recording apparatus has means for determining if a program which is scheduled to be broadcast has already been recorded, and, if it has been, for deciding if the program which is scheduled to be broadcast should be recorded based on a comparison of the attributes of the digital signal representing the scheduled program and corresponding attributes of the digital signal representing the recorded program. If it is determined that the scheduled program should be recorded, a control means gives an instruction which causes a recording unit to record the broadcast digital system representing the scheduled program when it is broadcast. Optionally, the digital signal representing the recorded program can be deleted once the digital signal representing the scheduled program is recorded. An identifier is used to determine whether the scheduled program is the same as a recorded program.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus adapted to be connected for use to a media drive apparatus for recording data on or reproduced data from a recording medium having a file system includes a real file system acquiring section that acquires the file system of the recording medium from the media drive apparatus and a virtual file system providing section that converts the file system acquired by the file system acquiring section into a virtual file system having a directory/file structure different from the directory/file structure on the recording medium and provides it to an application program.

Abstract: A data encoding apparatus operable to encode a plurality of data blocks produces encoded data in accordance with at least one of a selectable target data quantity or a selectable target data quality.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus is provided for detecting distortion of a data signal to which a template signal has been introduced into different frequency bands of the signal. The apparatus includes a frequency component processor operable to generate data representative of the frequency components of the first and the second frequency bands of the data signal, and a detection processor operable to identify the distortion of the data signal in accordance with a relative frequency change between the versions of the recovered template signal.

Abstract: A method of identifying material comprises the step of inserting (882) an identifying code (886) into a signal as a watermark, and deriving (884) a signature from the material. The code and signature are stored in a database (894). The watermarked signal may be distributed and/or transmitted through a network (888). The signal may be processed in the network. A monitor (890) derives from the received signal, the signature and the code. They are compared (892) with the stored signature and code to check the provenance of the material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of recording video and/or audio material on a recording medium, the method including an identifier for identifying a piece of video and/or audio material recorded on the recording medium, an activity indicator representative of relative activity within a content of the video and/or audio material, and metadata in accordance with the activity indicator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to embedding data in material. Material means one or more of video material, audio material and data material. Video material in this context may be still images or moving images. There is provided an apparatus comprising a transformer for transforming transform domain data into spatial domain data and a combiner for receiving material and combining said spatial domain data with said material to form data embedded material. Hence, the material is not subject any transformation at all.

Abstract: A television device for receiving and storing an electronic programme guide, the electronic programme guide including a plurality of programme entries for respective television programmes, each programme entry having a title field including title data for the title of the respective programme and having a timing field including timing data for timing of the respective programme. Title fields of the electronic programme guide are searched to find titles matching the title of the start programme and candidate programmes are identified accordingly. The timings of the identified candidate programmes are compared with a timing profile representing expected consecutive programme occurrences. On the basis of correlation of the timing data with the timing profile, a consecutive programme in the programme series is identified.

Abstract: A signal format that can be accessed, as a file, by the computer on which it is stored is provided with a plurality of concatenated content packages. The content package comprises System, Picture, Audio and Auxiliary Items. The System, Picture, Audio and Auxiliary Items have a common format including a 16 byte SMPTE Universal Label, a Word Count, and Data. The Item Label has a predetermined length which is set to fixed value except for the byte identifying the Item to which the label belongs. The data of the System Item includes a set of Metadata blocks, which has an initial Metadata Count byte defining the number of blocks in the set. A metadata block may include a metadata Link which links the metadata of that block to the essence of the element of the Auxiliary Item with which element it is associated.