Abstract: A method of controlling copying of an information signal, comprises the steps of: prior to recordal 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: An encoding data processing apparatus configured to parse a compression encoded bit stream to identify frames of a video image, and to determine for image frame areas of the compression encoded bit stream providing spare data capacity as a result of the fixed data portion not being completely filled with macroblocks; to first check within the macroblocks whether an additional amount of data required to represent the entire visible watermark can be accommodated in a memory space formed by the spare data capacity of the image frame; and after it has been determined that the additional data for representing the entire visible watermark can be accommodated within the spare data capacity, to change selected macroblocks of the image frame to represent the visible watermark; to generate a bit pattern representing the macroblocks in the original image frame which have changed to represent the visible watermark; and to insert all the additional data into the areas providing the spare data capacity of the fixed data po

Abstract: A client device for use in a system having a server, the client device including: a receiving device configured to receive information material from the server, the information material containing a reversible modification providing a visually perceptible disturbing effect having been applied to the information material by using an invertible algorithm which uses values generated from one or more keys, and to receive identifying information that distinguishes the information material from other information material available from the server and condition information which defines a predetermined condition that should be met in order for the reversible modification to be reversed.

Abstract: A data communication system for communicating one or more payload streamed data signals and an auxiliary data signal, the auxiliary data signal being arranged as one or more data packets according to a data packet protocol, each packet having a packet destination address. The system includes at least two data handling nodes, a transmitting one of the data handling nodes arranged to transmit data to a receiving one of the data handling nodes, and a transmission data formatter associated with the transmitting node for formatting the packets of the auxiliary data signal into a streamed data signal format and for multiplexing the payload streamed data signals and the formatted auxiliary data signal into a bitstream for transmission. The system further includes a received data reformatter associated with the receiving node for demultiplexing the input streamed data signals and the formatted auxiliary data signal and for reformatting the auxiliary data signal into packets according to the data packet protocol.

Abstract: A method of detecting a version of input data content, there being a plurality of different versions of said data content, in which: said data content is arranged as two or more segments according to a segmentation pattern; and said versions of said data content are identifiable by corresponding identification data patterns by which at least some of said segments have respective identification data; said method comprising the steps of: (i) detecting said identification data in respect of said segments of said input data content; (ii) comparing said detected identification data with said identification data patterns corresponding to said different versions of said data content; and (iii) detecting that said input data content comprises at least a contribution from a certain version of said data content if a sum of matches obtained between said detected identification data and said identification data pattern for said certain version exceeds a threshold number.

Abstract: A media data security system for rendering a secure media data file, having associated authentication data, for output comprises a data preparation unit operable with respect to a version of the media data file, having user controls for generating a list of desired render operations to be applied to the media data file; and a secure data reproducer arranged to receive the list of desired render operations from the data preparation unit and to render the secure media data file for output on the basis of the list of render operations, the secure data reproducer comprising: a data authenticator for detecting the authenticity of the secure media data file using the authentication data; and a data reproducer operable, if the data authenticator detects that the input data is authentic, to perform the list of desired render operations with respect to the secure media data file.

Abstract: A media editing apparatus for editing media items together to form a media product comprises means for displaying at least two representations of the media items, each representation relating to media items lying within a respective time period with respect to the media product; a user control for adjusting the time period of any one of the at least two representations; and means, responsive to a user adjustment of the time period for a current representation, for adjusting the respective time periods of the other representations so that the time periods for the other representations at least encompass the user-adjusted time period for the current representation.

Abstract: A system for providing a plurality of sets of broadcast data service transmitted as part of a broadcast signal, including a processor configured to periodically extract at least some of the plurality of sets of the broadcast data service from a broadcast carousel included in the broadcast signal, a memory configured to store the extracted plurality of sets of the broadcast data service, defining a plurality of digital-audio/video-data-sets including television clips, a first controller configured to allow selection from a list of the plurality of sets of the digital-audio/video-data-sets, and a second controller responsive to a user initiated selection signal to cause the memory to output a user selected one of the plurality of digital-audio/video-data-sets selected from the list, wherein the processor converts the digital-audio/video-data of the plurality of sets of the broadcast data service into real time audio/video data, and updates portions of data related to the stored extracted plurality of sets.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital conversion arrangement converting an input analog signal into an output digital representation. Two or more analog-to-digital conversion paths each applying a conversion mapping between input analog signal magnitudes and respective digital values generate an intermediate representation of the input analog signal, the conversion paths being operable to apply different respective conversion mappings. An output circuit combines the intermediate representations from at least two conversion paths to generate the output digital representation, the intermediate representations being combined according to a weighting dependent on the magnitude of the input analog signal. At least one of the conversion paths has an enhanced sensitivity mode appropriate to a range of magnitudes of the input signal that are below a threshold magnitude. Control logic inhibits operation in the enhanced sensitivity mode if the magnitude of the input analog signal exceeds the threshold magnitude.

Abstract: A module is connected to a digital television decoder apparatus by a transport stream interface over which the module supplies a transport stream received in the module over the transport stream interface or over a separate interface. The module has a packet multiplexer arranged to multiplex packets containing application data generated in the module into the received transport stream. This allows the module to implement a man-machine interface.

Abstract: An apparatus including a transformer for transforming transform domain data into time domain data and a combiner for receiving material and combining said time domain data with said material to form data embedded material. Hence, the material is not subject any transformation at all.

Abstract: A method and a system for generating image content. The method and system allow segments of a panoramic scene, to be generated with reduced distortion. The method and system reduce the amount of distortion by mapping pixel data onto a pseudo camera focal plane which is provided substantially perpendicularly to the focal location of the camera that captured the image. A camera arrangement can implement the method and system.

Abstract: An encoding data processing apparatus is arranged to generate a marked copy of an item of material by introducing at least one code word into a copy of the material item, the code word being arranged to identify a payload data word. The encoding apparatus comprises an encryption circuit operable to receive a payload encryption key and to receive the payload data word, and to encrypt the payload data word using the payload encryption key. A pseudo random number generator receives the encrypted payload data and a finger print key and generates the code word having a plurality of code word coefficients using the encrypted payload as a seed for the pseudo random number generator and the finger print key. A combiner combines the code word with the material to form the marked copy of the material item. The encoding apparatus may form part of a media terminal for marking material items with the code words, when the material items are to be reproduced.

Abstract: A method of identifying material which includes the step of inserting an identifying code into a signal as a watermark, and deriving a signature from the material. The code and signature are stored in a database. The watermarked signal may be distributed and/or transmitted through a network. The signal may be processed in the network. A monitor derives from the received signal, the signature and the code. The derived signature and the derived code are compared with the stored signature and code to check the provenance of the material. The watermark contains an authorization code allowing duplication of the material.

Abstract: A method of combining data with other material comprises the step of repetitively distributing the data in the other material. The data is for example metadata associated with the other material. The other material may be one or more of video, audio and data material preferably in a defined file format e.g. MXF. The material and data from the file are preferably mapped to one of several signal interfaces such as SDI, SDTI and AES3, where the file metadata is repetitively distributed through the stream signal interface by one of several multiplexing methods.

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

Abstract: A data communication transmitting node is provided, the transmitting node comprising: a plurality of buffers for storing data from a respective plurality of input data streams; means for monitoring an occupancy level of each of the plurality of buffers to detect if the occupancy level is sufficient to provide a complete data block to the transmission stream; and a transmission controller operable to select, in turn, a buffer from the plurality of buffers to output a data block to a transmission data stream, the selection being performed according to a buffer selection order. If the buffer selected by the transmission controller is detected to have an insufficient occupancy level when selected, a dummy data block is supplied to the data transmission stream in place of a data block from the selected buffer.

Abstract: A television signal recording apparatus comprises a recording unit that makes recordings of television signals and stores metadata representing information in respect of the recordings including the channel and the recording time. A graphical display of made recordings and scheduled recordings is produced in which graphical objects representing respective recordings are arranged in two dimensions, ordered in a first dimension on the basis of the channels and ordered in a second dimension on the basis of the recording times. In the second dimension, the graphical objects are arranged along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no recording is present, the discontinuities being graphically represented by graphical symbols that are different according to the period of the discontinuity. An electronic program guide is produced with a similar format, the programs being filtered to select programs and discontinuities being present at times where there is no selected program.

Abstract: A packet-based data network includes a packet-based network switch, and a plurality of packetised data sources coupled to the network, where the packetised data includes at least one of audio data or video data. The data network further includes at least one destination, being a data handling device for handling packetised data sources, coupled to the network, and a network control arrangement coupled to the network, the network arrangement being arranged to provide virtual circuit-switched connections for transfer of packetised data from sources to destinations via the network switch by assigning multicast group identifiers to the sources, so that the sources launch packetised data onto the network as multicast data packets identified by the multicast group identifiers, and instructing a destination to issue a request to the network switch to join the multicast group of a source so as to receive data packets from that source.

Abstract: An audio/video reproducing apparatus is connectable to a communications network for selectively reproducing items of audio/video material from a recording medium in response to a request received via the communications network. The audio/video reproducing apparatus may comprise a control processor operable in use to receive data representing the request for the audio/video material item via the communications network. A reproducing processor is operable in response to signals identifying the audio/video material items from the control processor to reproduce the audio/video material items. The data identifying the audio/video material items includes meta data indicative of the audio/video material items. The meta data may be one of UMID, tape ID and time codes, and a Unique Material Identifier the material items.