Abstract: A video-on-demand (VOD) system and method which efficiently enables a user to resume viewing of a video program from an interrupted position is disclosed. The present invention allows the user to resume viewing of a video program even if the user requests a resumption of the interrupted video program several times or through different video servers. Particularly, the video viewing characteristic information of a user terminal is not managed by a video server of the VOD system, but is managed by the user terminal. Accordingly, when a user interrupts viewing of a video program, the video server transmits to the user terminal user profile information which includes the characteristic information related to the viewing of the video program. Thereafter, if the user requests resumption of the interrupted video program using the user profile information, the video server re-transmits the video program from the interrupted position of the video program.

Abstract: A sequence of electronically captured images are converted into modified images providing the appearance of images captured by a film reproduction system, where the film reproduction system is of the type that includes a motion picture negative film printed onto a motion picture print film that is displayed, or a reversal motion picture system in which a reversal film is displayed. After electronically capturing the images, the electronically captured image data is transformed into linearized exposure data, which is subsequently transformed with a linear function that emulates a film exposure of the film reproduction system. The exposure-corrected images are then transformed with a non-linear function that renders the exposure-corrected images with a tone scale of the film reproduction system, and the tonescale-corrected images are transformed with a linear function that emulates a film color look provided by the film reproduction system.

Abstract: Coded video from an on-line MPEG video encoder is stored as a clip in a video server or is otherwise received in the video server and prepared or used for splicing. In order to reduce apparent frame inaccuracy that may result from the splicing process, the on-line MPEG video encoder and the server are coordinated so that the group-of-picture (GOP) structure in the encoder provides specified In-points and Out-points that are valid and desirable for splicing. An encoder control protocol is also provided for remote control of the on-line MPEG video encoder in order to coordinate the on-line MPEG video encoder with the video server.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a video signal processing apparatus for outputting an inputted video signal after subjecting the video signal to time axis correction, particularly to a video signal processing apparatus preferable in the case of subjecting the video signal to image compression. In the case in which a nonstandard signal is inputted to an image compression circuit of an MPEG2 encoder or the like, a drawback of freezing image or generating block noise or the like is resolved. A time axis correcting circuit stores an input signal to a memory and reads the input signal at a timing delayed from V synchronization of the input signal by a predetermined time period. For that purpose, a read synchronizing signal generator is reset at respective input field. A reset position is set to a position preceding the read V synchronization position by 3H through 10H.

Abstract: An MPEG bitstream is switched in the video domain in between a decoder and recoder pair which remain continuously in operation but which are transparent through re-use in the recoder of coding decision taken in the upstream coding of the MPEG bitstream and inferred in the decoder of the switch. Around the switch point, the coding decisions are modified.

Abstract: A video display for displaying a large image to an observer, comprising a screen for displaying patterns, the screen being formed of a plurality of separate areas each capable of receiving a segment of a pattern the segments collectively forming a complete frame of a pattern; projection means for projecting a segment of a pattern to each separate area of the screen in sequence; means for receiving each segment of a pattern and forming a complete frame; and means for illuminating the screen with collimated light to display a large area display.

Abstract: A monitoring system (10) includes a video camera (12) which generates images of a monitored area. A computer (16) receives the images from the video camera, and contains a digitized map (85) of the monitored area. One of the detected images (84) is saved as a reference image. An operator defines a first region (86) corresponding to a selected portion of the monitored area, as viewed in the reference image, and defines a second region (87) which corresponds to the selected portion of the area as viewed on the map. Subsequent images from the camera are compared to the reference image, in order to identify an object of interest, and a first point associated with the object is identified. If the first point is within the first region, a warp transformation of the first point from the first region to the second region is carried out, in order to identify within the second region a second point which corresponds to the first point, and which identifies the location on the map of the object of interest.

Abstract: An encoding device includes a processor unit controlling an overall operation and at the same time having a software for executing an audio encoding process, a video encoding unit to execute a video encoding process, a multiplex process unit to execute a system process and a timing control unit to generate a timing signal for activating an audio encoding process, a video encoding process and a system process, all of these elements are mountable on the same substrate. Each of a control process for controlling the audio encoding process, the video encoding process and system process is executed as an interrupt process. The processor unit includes an interrupt control circuit. The interrupt control circuit selects, based on a predetermined priority, one interrupt process corresponding to at least one generated timing signal.

Abstract: A holographic device, which has first and second roughly coplanar and superposed holograms, which are illuminated by the same non-polarized light beam with at least first and second spectral compositions, the holograms each being recorded in a manner such that in its middle, the axis of the diffracted beam is perpendicular to the direction of the incident beam in this medium, the diffracted beams forming first and second angularly separated light beam with the same polarization, and having different spectral compositions.

Abstract: To efficiently use space capacity and to provide accurate motion vectors for P-pictures, a two-pass search in a P-coding mode of an MPEG encoder is run so that the second pass refines the precision of motion vectors found in the first pass. Within a frame encoding period, the first pass coincides with the time interval used by a known MPEG video encoder in encoding B-pictures to search forward motion vectors with respect to a prior image, and, within the frame encoding period, the second pass coincides with searching backward motion vectors with respect to a subsequent image.

Abstract: Device and method for converting a video format of a digital T.V. which can convert an SD video into an HD video, the device including a VLD for making a variable length decoding of a received bit stream to determine a received video source of being an SD video and provide a relevant signal according to a result of the determination, a detector for detecting existence of edge components of the SD image using inverse quantized DCT coefficients, and a format converter for interpolating and format converting an SD image data obtained by adding an IDCT SD image data and a motion compensated SD image data into an HD image data by applying an interpolation equation according to signal from the VLD and the detector, whereby distortion of the image and degradation of a picture quality are prevented.

Abstract: Random access to arbitrary images, whether frames or fields, of a video segment compressed using both interframe and intraframe techniques may be enhanced by including state information, for decoding and display, at appropriate points in the compressed bitstream to enable random access to each intraframe compressed image. The state information may be inserted during compression or by processing the bitstream of compressed data. An image index also may be generated that maps each temporal image in a decompressed output image sequence to an offset in the compressed bitstream of the data used to decode the image. The index may be created during compression or by processing the bitstream of compressed data. To access one or more samples starting with a specified point in time in a decompressed output image sequence, the index is accessed using the specified point in time to identify another sample in the decompressed output image sequence for which data is used to produce the specified sample.

Abstract: A compound eye camera provided integrally with plural image pickup elements and a display unit adapted to display an image, divided into stripes in every scanning line or in every plural scanning lines and to give different directionalities to the display of the striped image in the odd-numbered lines and the display of the striped image in the even-numbered lines, thereby providing stereoscopic display at a predetermined observing position. The camera further has a display control unit for dividing each of two images, picked up with the plural image pickup elements and having a parallax, into stripes in the horizontal direction and alternately arranging the divided stripes by every line to synthesize a striped image, and causing the display unit to display such synthesized striped image.

Abstract: X-ray images are displayed at both high-resolution and high illumination with annotation superimposed in registration therewith to point out suspected abnormalities identified through a process in which the x-ray images are digitized and the digitized information is subjected to feature extraction processing. For example, the x-ray images are displayed at both high-resolution and high illumination in the form of x-ray film images displayed on a light box while the annotation information is selectively superimposed on the same image by a separate imaging system co-acting with the light box. In this manner, the radiologist can view either the x-ray film alone, in the conventional manner, or the same x-ray film, at the same position and at the same high resolution and at the same or substantially the same illumination level but with annotation information superimposed and in registration therewith.