Abstract: An encoding data processing apparatus is operable to introduce a visible watermark into a compression encoded video image represented by a compression encoded bit stream having a predetermined format. The format of the compression encoded bit stream provides image frames, which are represented by macroblocks, each macroblock representing a block of pixels from the image frame. The macroblocks are formed into groups of macroblocks which are contained in fixed portions of the compression encoded bit stream, the fixed data portions being able to accommodate a predetermined fixed amount of data. The encoding data processing apparatus being operable to parse the compression encoded bit stream to identify spare data capacity in each frame provided from each of the fixed data portions as a result of the fixed data portion not being completely filled with the macroblocks.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is operable to embed data into an image. The apparatus comprises a combining processor operable to introduce the data into a transform domain representation providing a plurality of sub-bands divided by spatial frequency components, and, in combination with a transform processor, to combine the data with the image in one of a transform domain form, the transform processor generating a transform domain form of the image, the data being combined with the image by the combining processor in the transform domain, and the transform processor generating a spatial domain representation of the combined image and data, or a spatial domain form of the image, the transform processor generating a spatial domain representation of the transform domain data, the data being combined with the image by the combining processor in the spatial domain.

Abstract: An audio and/or video generation apparatus is arranged in operation to generate audio and/or video signals representative of an audio and/or video source has a meta data generation tool which is arranged in operation to generate meta data associated with the audio and/or video signals, wherein the type of meta data generated by the meta data generation tool is user selectable. The audio and/or video generation apparatus may comprise a recording means which is arranged in operation to record the audio and/or video signals on a recording medium, and the audio and/or video generation apparatus may be arranged to receive meta data associated with the audio and/or video signals generated by a data processor, the recording means being arranged in operation to record the meta data on the recording medium with the audio and/or video signals. The meta data may be user generated, such as text describing the audio/video signals, or may be secondary meta data which is automatically generated by the audio/video apparatus.

Abstract: A method of facilitating identification of audio and/or video productions, comprising the steps of maintaining a register of unique program identification codes which identify corresponding audio/video productions, assigning a new unique program identification code on request from a producer of a new audio/video production, and up-dating the register with the new unique program identification code in association with the new audio/video production. The unique identification code may be a UPID or the like. The method includes acquiring items of audio/video material for use in forming the new audio/video production, generating during the step of acquiring the audio/video material items a unique identifying code for each of the audio/video material items, and populating the register with the unique identifying codes in association with the unique program identification code. The unique identifying code may be a UMID or the like.

Abstract: An image processor arranged in operation to generate an interpolated video signal from a received video signal representative of an image. The image processor comprises an adaptable register store comprising a plurality of register elements and is coupled to a control processor which is operable to receive the video signal and to provide pixels of the received video signal, under control of the control processor to an interpolator, selected regester elements being connected to the interpolator to provide the pixels of the received video signal for interpolation, each of the register elements being arranged to store a pixel of the received video signal and each is connected to a plurality of other register elements and is configurable under control of the control processor to feed the pixel stored in the register element to one of the plurality of other register elements in accordance with a temporal reference and the interpolator being coupled to the adaptable register store.

Abstract: Material is represented by transform coefficients represented by digital numbers. A method of perceptibly watermarking the material comprises the steps of: changing representations of the said numbers according to an invertible algorithm without changing the number of bits in the said numbers; and encoding the changed n bit numbers to effect compression encoding of the material.

Abstract: A method for displaying display information (DI) via a start up screen (StS) and/or via a shut down screen (ShS) of a display means (DM) of a customer device (CD) is provided wherein a step of providing primary information data (PID) is realized by said customer device (CD) by passively receiving said primary information data (PID) from an external data source (DS) outside said customer device (CD) and wherein a step (B) of generating secondary information data (SID) which is representative for the display information (DI) to be displayed is realized in said or internal of said customer device (CD) in an active manner.

Abstract: Process for accurately timed automatic alteration of electrical signals stored on a signal carrier (1) during the transmission of the original signal to a signal receiver (8, 10) in which process, for the exact dynamic alteration of the original signals, the original signals are first digitized and, provided with a time code, supplied to a computer (15) and stored in its memory unit, then the original signals digitally stored in the computer (15) are processed independently of the original recording in that the original signals digitally stored in the computer are graphically represented and checked for spots which are to be altered, and the correction signals corresponding to the desired alterations are selected and, provided with a time code, are entered in the computer (15) and then these correction signals are synchronously supplied to the setting members (20) during the transmission of the original signals from the signal carrier (1) to the signal receiver (8, 10).

Abstract: The present invention controls copying of an information signal, comprises the steps of prior to recording and/or transmission, applying to the information signal a substantially imperceptible modification representing copy control data including a password securely encoded according to a predetermined algorithm; upon reproduction for copying by a user, deriving (S1, S3) the copy control data from the modified information signal; comparing (S8, S9, S11, S13, S15) the derived securely encoded password with a reference password securely encoded according to a predetermined algorithm; and enabling (S5) copying of the information signal if the securely encoded password derived from the information signal and the securely encoded reference password have a predetermined relationship, otherwise disabling copying (S7). The reference password is sent to the user via a channel, which is separate from a channel used to send the information signal to the user.

Abstract: A method of embedding data in material comprises the steps of: embedding data in original material to produce data embedded material; removing the watermark from the data embedded material to produce recovered material; comparing the original and recovered material to determine the differences and locations of differences therebetween; and storing the said locations and corrections which correct the said differences. A method of removing the data embedded in the material, comprises the steps of: removing the data from the material to produce recovered material; deriving the said corrections and locations from the said store; and using the corrections to correct the recovered material at the said locations.

Abstract: A spatial domain using image produced by a source is combined with watermark data Ri to produce a spatial domain watermarked image. The watermarked image is produced by an embedder according to equation: Ci?=Ci+?. Ri, where Ci and Ci? are wavelet transform coefficients of the image, and ? is a scaling factor. ? is chosen so that the watermark is imperceptible in the image and to resist removal of the watermark by unauthorized processing. It is desirable that a has the smallest value which achieves that. If ? is too big the watermark is perceptible in the image. If ? is too small the mark may not survive processing of the image.

Abstract: A video processing method generates output images for display, each output image having one or more regions derived from a first source image separated by a wipe boundary from one or more regions derived from a second source image, each display position of the source images having an associated transparency coefficient.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting and recovering data embedded in information material, the data having been embedded in the material in a transform domain representation by arranging for the data to modulate a predetermined data sequence to form modulated data and combining the modulated data with the material. The apparatus includes a transform processor operable to transform the material into the transform domain representation, and a correlation processor operable to correlate transform domain data symbols bearing the modulated data with a reproduced version of the predetermined data sequence to form a correlation output signal and to recover the embedded data from the correlation output signal. The correlation processor is operable to repeat the correlation for transform domain data symbols and data symbols of the predetermined data sequence for each of a plurality of start positions in the transform domain.

Abstract: A material (e.g. video, audio or data) processing system (648) processes material including a watermark. The system comprises a remover (640) for removing the watermark, a processor (646) for processing the material from which the watermark has been removed, and an inserter (642) for inserting a watermark into the processed material.

Abstract: A data processing method for detecting a watermark codeword in a received image signal representing a watermarked image is described. The watermarked image comprises a plurality of signal samples each of which represents a pixel value of the image, to which a watermark codeword coefficient value has been added. The method comprises the steps of low pass filtering the received image signal to generate, for each signal sample, a local mean value, subtracting the local mean from the received image signal to generate a residual signal comprising, for each signal sample, a residual value, and determining, from the residual signal, a local standard deviation for each signal sample. The method also comprises the step of generating, for each signal sample, a watermark strength value providing an estimate of the magnitude with which the watermark codeword coefficient has been added to the received image signal sample.

Abstract: A material (e.g. video, audio or data) processing system (648) processes material including a watermark. The system comprises a remover (640) for removing the watermark, a processor (646) for processing the material from which the watermark has been removed, and an inserter (642) for inserting a watermark into the processed material.

Abstract: An apparatus for embedding data in information material, the data being a plurality of data items each having a different relative importance. The apparatus comprises an encoding processor operable to encode each of said data items, and a combining processor operable to combine said encoded data items with said information material. The information material provides a limited data embedding capacity, as a result for example of the limited bandwidth of the information material itself. Each of the data items are encoded and embedded to the effect that a proportion of the limited data embedding capacity is allocated to the encoded data items in accordance with the relative importance of these data items. As such, for example, an amount of error protection given to each of the data items can be arranged in accordance with the importance of the data items, whilst still satisfying the limited data embedding capacity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing binary digital TV data from a structured data format, wherein data in a structured data format according to a predetermined intermediate data format definition is converted into binary digital TV data of a predetermined technical standard, a conversion algorithm being applied to a structured data format according to a user data format definition so as to convert the data in the structured data format according to the user data format definition to data in the structured data format according to said intermediate data format definition for conversion into the binary digital TV data.

Abstract: An encoding data processing apparatus is arranged to generate a marked copy of an image by introducing a code word into a copy of the image. The apparatus comprises a code word generator operable to generate the code word having a plurality of code word coefficients. The encoding apparatus includes an image perception analyser and a strength adapter. The image perception analyser is operable to receive the image and to generate weighting factors for scaling the code word coefficients with respect to parts of the image with which the code word coefficients are to be combined. The strength adapter is operable to combine the weighting factors with the code word coefficients, and a combiner is operable to combine the weighted code word with the image. The image perception analyser includes a contrast masking engine, a smoothness compensation engine and a compensation combiner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data storage medium storing data material having a data replay order, the stored data material being associated with dummy data material stored on the medium at a different position in the data replay order, in which metadata identifying the data material is encoded as a watermark in the dummy data material.