Abstract: A composite video signal has a chrominance signal (14) and a luminance signal (10). A method and apparatus are disclosed for adjusting the chrominance signal (14) to obtain an enhanced chrominance signal (15) in which at least some transitions in the enhanced chrominance signal (15) align more closely with edges in the luminance signal (10) than transitions in the original chrominance signal (14) align with edges in the luminance signal (10). An edge in the luminance signal (10) of the composite video signal is detected (11). The position of the edge relative to a current pixel is detected (11). The chrominance of the current pixel is adjusted (13) in accordance with at least the position of said current pixel relative to the edge to obtain an enhanced chrominance signal (15).

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for obtaining interpolation filters for use in a method or apparatus for enhancing the spatial resolution of a digital image. In the method or apparatus for enhancing the spatial resolution, input pixels from a low resolution image are classified and interpolated using the interpolation filters to form a high resolution image. The method for obtaining the interpolation filters includes obtaining a low resolution image from a high resolution source image. A plurality of pixels in the low resolution image are classified with respect to interpolation filters so that each of the plurality of pixels in the low resolution image is allocated to a respective interpolation filter. The interpolation filters are updated. The classifying and updating steps are repeated until a convergence criterion is met.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed for increasing the frame rate of an input video signal by interpolating video frames between original video frames of the input video signal and inserting interpolated video frames between original video frames of the input video signal to produce an output video signal having a higher frame rate than the input signal.

Abstract: A streaming media player receives a media stream from a server. A clock comparator of the media player compares a clock value of the server with a clock value of the media player and generates a clock state value representing how much the server's clock value lags or leads the player's clock value. An output component of the media player generates an output media stream corresponding to the input media stream. A rate component of the media player receives the clock state value from the clock comparator and varies the rate of output of the media stream from the output component in dependency on the clock state value.

Abstract: A method of detecting skin tone pixels in an input image and adjusting colour values thereof for an output image is disclosed. The method comprises determining for each of a plurality of pixels in an input image whether initial chromaticity values of each of said pixels lie within a skin tone area defined in a chromaticity plane. The method further comprises amending the initial chromaticity values of those pixels that have chromaticity values lying within said skin tone area to obtain amended chromaticity values for use in obtaining an output image.

Abstract: An antenna (10) comprises a substrate (11) having a first and a second opposed side (12,13); a single element for radiating electromagnetic waves (15), wherein the radiating element (15) is formed on the first substrate side (12); a first ground plane (18) formed on the first substrate side (12), the first ground plane (18) being electrically connected to the radiating element (15); and, a second ground plane (19) formed on the second substrate side (13), the second ground plane (19) being electrically connected to the first ground plane (18).

Abstract: The invention provides a method of transcoding a video signal made up of an input bit stream representative of frames of a video, each frame being made up of blocks of pixels, there being a corresponding block of data within the input bit stream for each block of pixels, the method comprising: for the bit stream of a frame of the video signal, identifying the type of frame; and for certain types of frame, disregarding a configurable proportion of the data in respect of plural blocks within the frame, thereby taking into account local motion activity within the frame.

Abstract: Edge information of an input digital image is obtained. Digital image data corresponding to the input digital image is transmitted to a receiver. The edge information is also transmitted to the receiver. An output digital image is obtained at the receiver by processing the digital image data received at the receiver using the edge information received at the receiver. In this way, because the edge information is transmitted separately, as side information, and does not have to be obtained at the receiver, the computational complexity requires of the receiver is low. This enables for example real-time edge-adaptive interpolation to be carried out at the receiver.

Abstract: In a method of decoding data that contains payload data, start codes and stuffing data that prevents emulation of start codes within the data, and correspondingly in a method of encoding data that contains payload data and start codes, data is read or written. Substantially simultaneously with reading or writing the data, the data is checked for the presence of stuffing data which are to be discarded or the need to insert stuffing data as the case may be. In preferred embodiments, one or more state machines are used to track the need to discard/insert stuffing data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for adjusting the contrast of an input image. A blurred image corresponding to the input image is obtained, the brightness level of at least some of the pixels in the input image being varied to provide the blurred image. A ring likelihood for pixels in the input image is obtained, the ring likelihood providing a measure of the likelihood that said pixels are non-edge pixels in the neighbourhood of an edge pixel. The output image is produced as a sum of the brightness levels in the input image and the blurred image in dependence on the ring likelihoods.

Abstract: A colour saturation value for at least some of the pixels in an input image is adjusted to provide an output image. In one aspect, for each pixel for which the colour saturation value is adjusted, the colour saturation value for the pixel is adjusted in dependence on both a brightness value and a colour saturation value for said pixel. In another aspect, the adjusting is carried out by, for each of the at least some pixels, reading from a brightness values look-up table a brightness scale parameter corresponding to the brightness value of the pixel, reading from a colour values look-up table a colour scale parameter corresponding to the colour value of the pixel, obtaining a final scale parameter for the pixel from the brightness scale parameter and the colour scale parameter, and adjusting the colour value for the pixel in accordance with said final scale parameter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus adjusts the contrast of an input image formed of pixels. Each pixel in the input image has an input brightness level. At least some of the pixels in the output or enhanced image have an output brightness level that is different from their input brightness level. Brightness level data of the input image is filtered to obtain a high frequency component of the input image in a single operational stage. The high frequency component is amplified. The original image and the amplified high frequency component are summed to produce brightness level data of the output image.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of frame interpolation, the method comprising: receiving first and second frames from an input video stream; generating an interpolated frame for arranging between the first and second frames in a processed video stream so that the second video stream has a different higher frame rate than the input video stream, wherein generating the interpolated frame comprises: identifying one or more moving objects within the first frame; segmenting the or each of the identified moving objects; and, determining motion parameters for each of the segments of the segmented objects.

Abstract: A composite video signal has a chrominance signal (14) and a luminance signal (10). A method and apparatus are disclosed for adjusting the chrominance signal (14) to obtain an enhanced chrominance signal (15) in which at least some transitions in the enhanced chrominance signal (15) align more closely with edges in the luminance signal (10) than transitions in the original chrominance signal (14) align with edges in the luminance signal (10). An edge in the luminance signal (10) of the composite video signal is detected (11). The position of the edge relative to a current pixel is detected (11). The chrominance of the current pixel is adjusted (13) in accordance with at least the position of said current pixel relative to the edge to obtain an enhanced chrominance signal (15).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting the contrast of an image, in which each pixel in the image has an initial brightness level that is within a range of brightness levels between a minimum brightness level and a maximum brightness level. For each brightness level within the range, the number of pixels that have the same initial brightness level is counted. The pixels are divided into at least two types by identifying the or each set of pixels having initial brightness levels in which each of a plurality of adjacent ones of said brightness levels has more pixels than a threshold number. The pixels of the plurality of adjacent ones of said brightness levels are treated as a first type. The remaining pixels are treated as a second type. For the or each set of pixels of the first type, contrast enhancement is carried out separately on those pixels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting the contrast of an input image is disclosed. Brightness level data of the input image is filtered to obtain at least a low frequency component and a high frequency component. The high frequency component is amplified. The low frequency component and the amplified high frequency component are summed to produce brightness level data of the output image. The filtering is carried out by at least one recursive infinite impulse response filter having a single delay coefficient that is adaptive to areas of high contrast in the input image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for obtaining interpolation filters for use in a method or apparatus for enhancing the spatial resolution of a digital image. In the method or apparatus for enhancing the spatial resolution, input pixels from a low resolution image are classified and interpolated using the interpolation filters to form a high resolution image. The method for obtaining the interpolation filters includes obtaining a low resolution image from a high resolution source image. A plurality of pixels in the low resolution image are classified with respect to interpolation filters so that each of the plurality of pixels in the low resolution image is allocated to a respective interpolation filter. The interpolation filters are updated. The classifying and updating steps are repeated until a convergence criterion is met.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for synchronising subtitles with a video, the method comprising, upon receipt of a user input indicative of a synchronisation error between the video and the subtitles displayed on the display, modifying the relative timing of the subtitle and video displays in accordance with the user input during playback of the video on a video display.