Abstract: Audio processing apparatus comprises an audio processor operable to apply one or more processing operations from a set of audio processing operations to an input audio signal; adjustment controls for adjusting processing parameters associated with each of the set of processing operations; a display screen for displaying icons representing each processing operation of the set of audio processing operations; and a detector for detecting user operation of the adjustment controls associated with an a processing operation and, in response to such a detection, for displacing the display position of the icon associated with that processing operation.

Abstract: A method of scheduling data storage or retrieval jobs in a data storage and/or retrieval system in which stored data is distributed between multiple data storage volumes comprises: (i) maintaining a queue of data storage or retrieval jobs for execution; and (ii) adding a newly initiated job to the queue so that: (a) if the newly initiated job requires access to the same data storage volume as a further job already in the queue, the newly initiated job is added to the queue at an adjacent queue position to that further job; and (b) if the newly initiated job does not require access to the same data storage volume as any other job already in the queue, adding the newly initiated job to the queue at a queue position independent of the data storage volumes of other jobs in the queue.

Abstract: Image data compression apparatus for generating compressed output data to be handled by an output data handling channel having an output data capacity per image comprises a data compressor for compressing image data so as not to exceed a target quantity of data per image; in which the target quantity of data per image is higher than the output data capacity per image.

Abstract: In recording for example classical music played by an orchestra (O), a stereo pair (1) is used. To enhance say a quiet instrument such as a flute (F) a spot microphone (2) is used close to the flute. However, the different air-path lengths for the flute to the stereo pair (1) and spot microphone (2) creates undesired effects. The signal from the spot microphone is delayed (4), the delay being automatically controlled by an adaptive filter (5). The filter (5) correlates the spot microphone signal with the signal from the stereo pair to establish the delay time. An alternative arrangement uses an adaptive filter trained by the signal from the spot microphone to extract the flute signal from the stereo pair. In other arrangements, similar techniques are used to cancel undesired noise.

Abstract: For compressing M-bit data words where M is a plural positive integer, groups of N data words are defined, where N is a plural positive integer, and then the bits of the group of N data words are output as a bit stream including a sequence of sub-streams, each sub-stream relating to a respective bit position in the N data words and being formed from a sequence of N data bits from that bit position of respective data words. The bit sequences are run length encoded and the run length codes thus generated are further encoded using a commaless code such as a Huffman code.

Abstract: The gateway video signal is generated from inputted frames which represent a motion picture when reproduced at a real-time rate. The inputted frames are sped up to 1.2 or 1.25 times the real-time rate. The sped up frames are, then, converted to 60 field/second, thereby generating the gateway video signal.

Abstract: Data storage apparatus having an ordered data array of data items stored on a storage medium, in which deletion of a data item from the array leaves data storage space in which a newly stored data item can be stored, comprises means for storing a mask array on the storage medium, the mask array having a respective mask array data entry for each possible data item position in the stored data array, which is settable to indicate whether a data item is validly stored at that data array position.

Abstract: A 1-bit signal processor receives a 1-bit signal having a first sampling rate eg 64 fs. An upconverter (41) increases the sampling rate to eg 128 fs. A series of Delta Sigma Modulators (42, 43) processes the signal. The processed signal is down-converted by a converter (44) to 64 fs. As least the Delta Sigma Modulators may be implemented on an integrated circuit. The down-converter is arranged to prevent noise being folded back into the signal band.

Abstract: A method of generating an output array of image spatial frequency coefficients from input arrays of image spatial frequency coefficients overlapped by the required array, the spatial frequency coefficients being transformable to image pixel values by a predetermined spatial frequency transformation, comprises the steps of: matrix-multiplying each input array by one or more respective matrices having coefficients derivable by applying the inverse of the predetermined spatial frequency transformation to respective translation matrices which, if matrix-multiplied by that input array, would provide a translation of the overlapped portion of that input array to an overlapping position in the output array; and matrix-adding the respective matrix products generated from each overlapped input array.

Abstract: A signal processor for 1-bit signals comprises an nth order D Sigma Modulator (DSM) having an input (4) for receiving a 1-bit signal and an output (5) at which a processed 1-bit signal is produced by a quantizer (Q). The quantizer (Q) receives a p-bit signal from a series of 5 signal integration stages. Each stage comprises a first 1-bit multiplier (An) coupled to the input (4), a second 1-bit multiplier (Cn) coupled to the output (5), an adder (6n) which sums the outputs of the coefficient multipliers and an integrator (7n) which integrates the output of the adder (6n). A final stage comprises a coefficient multiplier (An+1) and an adder (6n+1). The adder (6n+1) sums the output of the coefficient multiplier (An+1) and the output of the integrator of the preceding integration stage. The input signal is fed to all the stages except the final stage via a 1-bit delay. The output signal of the quantizer is fed back to the stages via a 1-bit delay.

Abstract: Image data compression apparatus in which data is encoded using a variable degree of quantization selected for areas of an image so that the quantity of encoded data for each area does not exceed a predetermined maximum quantity of data comprises two or more trial encoders operable in parallel to trial encode image data using respective predetermined trial degrees of quantization; a selector for selecting one of the predetermined trial degrees of quantization in response to the quantities of data produced during the trial quantizations; and one or more further trial encoders operable to trial encode image data using degrees of quantization derived from the degree of quantization selected by the selector.

Abstract: One-bit digital signal processing apparatus for generating an output one-bit signal by switching from a first to a second one-bit signal in response to a detection that m consecutive bits of the first and second signal are identical, the apparatus comprising means for varying m in dependence on the urgency of the switching operation.

Abstract: An MPEG2 encoded signal comprising intra-encoded pictures I and inter-encoded pictures B is decoded (70-74) to baseband and re-encoded (76) to I-pictures. The quantisation levels Q.sub.v and the motion vectors M.sub.v of the B pictures are retained unchanged and maintained in association with the corresponding pictures re-encoded as I-pictures. The I-pictures can be decoded to baseband, processed, and re-encoded as I-pictures without degradation. The I-pictures can then be re-encoded back to e.g. I, B pictures with minimal degradation. Alternatively, some of the I-pictures are decoded and converted to B pictures retaining unchanged the quantisation levels thereof.

Abstract: A signal processor for processing 1-bit signals comprising at least a pair of Delta Sigma Modulators (DSM) coupled in series, one of the said pair of DSMs having an signal-band noise-shaping filter characteristic complementary to the signal-band noise-shaping filter characteristic of the other of the pair of DSMs.

Abstract: Apparatus 10 for providing a plurality of output video signals for near video on demand transmission, said apparatus 10 comprising: a control unit 30 connected to a primary video data storage unit 20 for receiving video data therefrom; and a temporary storage and replay array 50 for storing and replaying said video data, said array comprising of a plurality of serially connected individual storage units 60(1) . . . 60(n), a first 60(1) of said storage units being connected to said control unit 30 for data transfer therebetween; wherein, in use, data is transferred sequentially from said control unit 30 to said first storage unit 60(1) for transmission, said first storage unit 60(1) retransferring said data to a second 60(2) and subsequent storage units for retransmission.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for editing recorded audio and/or video material, in which temporally successive material clips of a edited output material sequence are represented by corresponding clip icons on a display screen displayed in a display order corresponding to the temporal order of replay of the material clips.

Abstract: A video signal processor interpolating lines in a vertical filter (24) in dependence on whether the lines are of a 625 line frame or a 525 line frame. The interpolated lines are filtered in a horizontal filter (26). The resultant lines are vertically and horizontally decimated by controlling the writing of the lines into a FIFO (28). A reduced size image is produced which has the same number of lines and pixels per line for both 525 and 625 line frames. The reduced size image is data compressed in a JPEG codec (50). The compression factor for a 525/60 signal is 6/5 of that for a 625/50 signal so the data rate per unit time is the same for both signals.

Abstract: A frame of time-domain video signals Si is supplied via a frame reorderer (40) to a motion vector estimator (41), and then to a DCT transformer (43) and a quantizer (44) to produce a quantized, transformed current frame S.sup.T i/q. A subtracter (42) subtracts a transformed quantized prediction frame S.sup.T p/q from S.sup.T i/q to produce an inter-encoded signal .DELTA.. The prediction frame S.sup.T p/q is produced by adding the prediction signal to S.sup.T p/q to the inter-encoded signal .DELTA., dequantizing (46) and inverse transforming (47) the sum and applying the sum to a motion compensation circuit (49) to produce a time domain prediction signal Sp which is transformed (50) and quantized (51) to produce S.sup.T p/q The quantizers (44) and (51) are controlled by the same quantization level Qv. The encoder and a corresponding decoder allow frames to be encoded and decoded with reduced reconstruction errors in systems where compress ion codecs are cascaded.

Abstract: Apparatus for accessing a database having database records comprising data-compressed image data comprises a database server apparatus operable to respond to a database query by returning database records to the client process matching the criteria specified by the database query; and a client process for issuing database queries to the database server and for displaying information indicative of the database records returned by the database server apparatus; in which: the client process has a data decompressor for decompressing data-compressed images received from the database server and a data cache for storing decompressed image data representing those images; the client process is operable to retrieve, decompress, display and store in the data cache data-compressed a subset of the images relating to the database records returned by the database server; and the client process is then operable to retrieve, decompress and store in the data cache data-compressed images relating to the database records returne

Abstract: NTSC signals have a frame rate of 29.97 frames per second. In SDI, audio data is sampled at a rate 30n where n is an integer, e.g. 48K samples per second. Thus there are 1601.6 samples per frame. Although there are an integer number 8008 samples per five frame sequence, two frames have 1601 samples and 3 frames have 1602 samples. This creates a variable storage requirements from frame to frame and causes problems in editing. The SDI audio data is separated from associated video and decimated by a factor h, where h=4 for example in a signal processor 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The decimated data is written into a FIFO circuit at the rate 30n/h synchronously with frame timing under the control of a frame reference generator 10, 9. A fixed integer number n/h of samples is written into the FIFO 7 in each frame under the control of a write control circuit 8. n/h=400 for example, where n=1600 and h=4. Any additional sample in each frame is dropped. The 400 sample frames are stored on a disc 14.