Abstract: A television apparatus including a register for storing a plurality of events, each event indicating both a time and an operation to be conducted by the television apparatus at that time, a power supply operable to power the television apparatus selectively in a powered-up state or a standby state and a controller arranged so as, in response to a clock reaching a time stored for one of said events, to control the power supply to switch from the standby state to the powered-up state and to cause the respective operation to be conducted by the television apparatus. The television apparatus is arranged to store information indicating, for at least the stored event having the latest time, whether to switch to the standby state or a shutdown state, the power supply being shut down in the shutdown state.

Abstract: A method of providing information, comprising: capturing, at a first receiver receiving a television broadcast signal, a live image of a television channel of the television broadcast signal; transmitting the captured live image from the first receiver to a server, the server being remotely located from the first receiver; transmitting the captured live image from the server to a second receiver; and displaying the captured live image together with information associated with the television channel at the second receiver.

Abstract: A smoke detection method for identifying, in a current input image, an area indicative of the presence of smoke, there being a sequence of two or more input images, the method comprising the steps of: storing a background estimation for a current input image; and comparing the current input image with the background estimation to detect a partial obscuring of the background estimation indicative of the presence of smoke in the current input image.

Abstract: An encoding data processor generates a video material item marked copy by representing a payload data word as a code word and embedding the code word into a copy of the video material item. A preprocessor divides the payload word into plural parts, forms plural initial values from the plural parts, each initial value formed by adding parts of the payload data word to each initial value successively starting with the first part added to the first initial value, and adds the first and second to the second initial value so each subsequent initial value includes all parts of the payload data word of the previous initial values and a new part of the payload data word. An encryption processor receives each initial value and generates an encrypted data stream using a payload encryption key. A combiner combines the encrypted payload data word with the video material item.

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. 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. 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. The weighting factor has an effect of reducing the code word coefficients for image parts having lower relative contrast measures. A compensation combiner is operable to combine the compensation factors with the weighting factor. The likelihood of a code word being perceivable when the code word is combined with an image is reduced.

Abstract: A hardware decryption processor operates, when power is applied to a programmable logic device, to read an encrypted configuration program, to decrypt the encrypted configuration program using a first secret configuration key stored in a register, and to configure a programmable array of logic elements with the configuration program. The programmable array when configured with the configuration program operates to read the encrypted configuration program from a non-volatile store, to decrypt the configuration program using the first secret configuration key, which was provided with the configuration program, to generate a second secret key, to adapt the configuration program by inserting the second secret key into the configuration program, to re-encrypt the adapted configuration program using the first secret configuration key, and to replace the configuration program with the adapted and encrypted configuration program in the non-volatile store.

Abstract: A signal processing system comprises a recorder (500,204) for recording information signals representing video audio and/or data material on a tape (502, 126). The recorder (500, 204) generates (152,178) first material identifiers for identifying respective pieces of material on the medium such that each piece is differentiated from other pieces on the medium, and generates second, universally unique, identifiers for pieces of material, the second identifiers being associated with the first identifiers. The recorder (468, 472, 470 FIG. 31) records the material on successive slant tracks. A slant track stores a video timecode. At least one linear track stores a linear track timecode. The timecodes each have a plurality of user-definable bits. The material identifiers (464) are stored in the user-definable bits of the slant track timecode and in the user-definable bits of the linear track timecode. The identifiers associate the material with metadata objects. The metadata objects are repeatedly recorded (FIG.

Abstract: A television receiver device including first and second tuners for receiving first and second multiplexes of channels, each multiplex including at least one channel carrying a succession of programs, actual event information providing information relating to channels in the respective multiplex and other event information providing information relating to channels of other multiplexes. A programme is scheduled to be broadcast at the same time in different first and second formats respectively in the first and second multiplexes. The device further includes a user interface configured to allow selection of a channel of said first multiplex; a controller configured to tune said first tuner to said first multiplex and to select said channel of said first multiplex; wherein the controller is configured to be responsive to the channel selected by the user interface carrying said programme to tune said second tuner to said second multiplex.

Abstract: A television apparatus (20) including a display (22) and an audio transducer (24,28) for reproducing video and audio component parts of a television signal. A processor (40) is provided for separating from the television signal an audio descriptor component part for providing an audio description of a corresponding video component part of the television signal. A controller (46) selectively controls the television apparatus to operate in one of an audio descriptor mode in which an audio descriptor component part is reproduced by the audio transducer (24,28) at the same time as the display (22) reproduces the respective corresponding video component part and a standard mode in which the audio descriptor component part is not reproduced. A user operable interface (30,50,48) is provided for selectively selecting between the standard mode and the audio descriptor mode. The controller (46) is configured to drive the display (42) to provide a mode image (52) providing an indication of the selective mode.

Abstract: A charge pump circuit including an input rail, an output rail, a voltage rail, a control line, an MOS input transistor including a gate and a channel connected between the input rail and the voltage rail, and an MOS output transistor including a gate and a channel connected between the output rail and the voltage rail. The gate of the input transistor is connected to the gate of the output transistor and a switch connects the channel of the output transistor to the voltage rail in response to a signal on the control line. The channel of an input cascode transistor connects the channel of the input transistor to the input rail and the channel of an output cascode transistor connects the channel of the output transistor to the output rail. The gate of the input cascode transistor is connected to the gate of the output cascode transistor.

Abstract: An image processing method includes detecting statistical distribution of permutations of pixel properties amongst contiguous groups of a predetermined number of pixels in at least a portion of an image under test, so as to derive feature data in respect of the image under test, and comparing the feature data derived in respect of the image under test with feature data derived from at least respective portions of one or more other images so as to detect a similarity between the image under test and the one or more other images.

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: A system for providing requested data sets of broadcast data service transmitted as part of a broadcast signal, including a broadcast headend configured to receive a data request from a receiver, and configured to broadcast requested data sets to the receiver in response to the data request from the receiver, a processor configured to periodically extract all of the requested data sets of the broadcast data service from a broadcast carousel included in the broadcast signal, a memory configured to store all of the requested data 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/vid

Abstract: A media handling system in which candidate video sequences are displayed on a display screen in schematic form for selection by a user comprises means for detecting human faces in the candidate video sequences; a display screen for displaying representations of the candidate video sequences for selection by a user, each representation including one or more images representing human faces derived from the respective video sequences; and a user control for defining a set of one or more of the video sequences.

Abstract: A method of data processing. The method comprises applying a filter to an input sample set comprising sample values selected from an input sequence of input sample values, so as to generate a corresponding output sample value having an output sample value position with respect to the input sample set, in which the filter has a maximum output range. The method further comprises deriving a permissible output value range from an input group of two or more input sample values in the input sample set which surround the output sample value position, detecting whether the output of the filter is outside the permissible output value range and, if so, limiting the output of the filter to lie within the permissible output value range.

Abstract: An audio and/or video generation apparatus comprises a recording processor which is operable to record audio and/or video signals on a recording medium, a meta data generation processor which is operable to generate meta data identifying the content of the audio/video signals, and a communications processor which arranged to communicate the meta data separately from the recording medium. Furthermore, the meta data generation processor may be operable to generate at least one sample image which is representative of a video image from the recorded video signals, and to associate the sample image with an address on the recording medium at which the video image is recorded. The video and/or audio generation apparatus provides an advantage in generating and utilising meta data to facilitate the generation of audio/video productions.

Abstract: A method of processing a spectrally-encoded digital audio signal comprising band data components representing audio contributions in respective frequency bands comprises the steps of altering a subset comprising one or more of the band data components; and generating recovery data to allow the original values of the altered band data components to be reconstructed.

Abstract: A technique for broadcasting a broadcast data service together with broadcast digital television data as part of a broadcast signal, the broadcast data service comprising a plurality of data portions including data portions having digital data in non-real time. The technique comprising, during normal broadcasting, only broadcasting portions of the broadcast data service required to replace previous respective portions which have been changed and broadcasting television data of the broadcast data service as non-real time data.

Abstract: A digital television recorder to record television programs, having a recording section to record data onto a storage medium, a filter to identify from a received transport stream, data of a television program for recording, a timer to be set with a time and, at that time, to start the recording onto the storage medium, data of the television program received from the filter, and a cache to store data of the interactive services associated with the television programs and provided in the respective transport streams. The filter identifies data of interactive services associated with the television programs, the timer starts, at a predetermined interval before the time, acquisition of the data of interactive services and storing acquired data of interactive services in the cache, and the recording section records, immediately prior to starting recording the data of the television program, the content of the cache to the storage medium.

Abstract: A data communication system transmits data between a transmitting node and a receiving node. The transmitting node may transmit data from streamed data signals across respective transmission paths of a communication link, transmit timing information for base clock signals across the communication link, and transmit configuration data. The configuration data may associate transmission paths and corresponding base clock signals. The receiving node may receive data from the transmission paths of the communication link and process the timing information for the base clock signals in response to the configuration data to generate a respective sample clock signal corresponding to each respective transmission path. Moreover, the receiving node may associate the sample clock with data from the respective transmission path depending upon the configuration data to recover the streamed data signals.