Abstract: In a DVD recording/playback system, a set top box STB receives an MPEG transport stream constituted by a plurality of transport packets, and a formatter extracts support information indicating if management information included in the transport packets includes predetermined items. A disc drive that records data on a recording medium having a management area and data area records the support information in the management area.

Abstract: Managing interoperability of digital devices such as a digital video disc player and a digital television interconnected via a digital bus is provided. This interoperability is based on the IEEE 1394 serial bus for the physical and link layers and makes use of AV/C or CAL as the control language. This invention provides for transferring a DVD subpicture that has been transformed into a bit-mapped on-screen display (OSD) format via an asynchronous channel of the interconnecting serial bus.

Abstract: A DVD video player includes first and second memories, which are nonvolatile, for storing data indicating the operating state of the DVD video player therein via a memory selecting unit, an end-of-writing detecting unit for detecting completion of the writing for each of the first and second memories, a last-written memory storage unit, which is nonvolatile, for storing data indicating the memory of the first and second memories to which writing is to be applied when completion of writing is detected by the end-of-writing detecting unit, and a writing-memory selecting unit for, after writing to the indicated memory is completed, causing the memory selecting unit to switch from the indicated memory to the other memory. In the DVD video player, when power for the DVD video player is turned on, data indicating the last play state from the memory is selected based on data stored in the last-written memory storage unit and read.

Abstract: A magnetic-tape recording apparatus for recording digital data on a magnetic tape by a rotating head includes a first obtaining unit for obtaining first-group data, including video data, audio data, or search data. A second obtaining unit obtains second-group data, including sub-code data related to the first-group data. A synthesizing unit synthesizes the first-group data and the second-group data such that they are continuous without any space disposed therebetween, on each of two sub-tracks formed with a gap sandwiched therebetween on a track in the magnetic tape. A sending unit sends data synthesized by the synthesizing unit to the rotating head in order to record the data on the magnetic tape.

Abstract: The media player employs an operating system that supports a virtual machine into which auto-run playback programs may be loaded and run. The auto run playback program is stored on the media containing the program content, such as on an optical disc medium. When the medium is inserted in the player, the auto run playback program automatically launches and is thereafter used to access playback the media content.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes memory for storing a sequence of access to a plurality of recording blocks of a recording medium in which first information signals are recorded, the first information signals being correlated with second information signals to be recorded, and a recorder for recording the second information signals on the recording medium according to the sequence of access stored in the memory, the sequence of access indicating the sequence in which the first information signals are to be reproduced.

Abstract: A system for checking the consistency between a digital video master and a duplicate video. Both the digital video master and the duplicate digital video have digital data, the digital data composed of a plurality of data segments. A loader module receives the digital data of the digital video master and the duplicate digital video. A comparison module then retrieves the digital data of the digital video master and the duplicate digital video and performs a data segment by data segment comparison between the digital data of the digital video master and the digital data of the duplicate digital video. The comparison module indicates any discrepancies between the digital video master and the duplicate digital video.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus and method for recording/reproducing record information to perform an information recording medium. A drive is provided for recording/reproducing recorded information to/from the information recording medium, and a non-volatile memory memorizes an identifier of the information recording medium loaded on the drive and position information indicative of a position on the information recording medium where the drive records/reproduces the information therefrom. The position information is renewed at one of a predetermined time and a predetermined period.

Abstract: For use in a multimedia analysis system capable of analyzing the content of multimedia signals, there is disclosed an apparatus and method for creating a multimedia table of contents of videotaped material. In one advantageous embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a multimedia table of contents controller that is capable of receiving video signals, audio signals, and text signals of said videotaped material, and capable of combining portions of the video signals, audio signals, and text signals to create a table of contents of the videotaped material. The controller is capable of segmenting video signals with both a coarse and fine segmentation application. The controller is also capable of locating boundaries of elements of the videotaped material with both a coarse and fine boundary detection application. An index module of the controller links elements of the table of contents with combinations of audio, visual, and transcript cues.

Abstract: A program length extending or shortening device for extending or shortening the program length in a digital video tape recorder of the image information compression recording method. The device comprises storage means for storing an image of a material video program reproduced and supplied from a predetermined recording medium by a reproducing device, and extending or shortening control means for extending or shortening the program length of the material video program to produce a target video program by skipping or reading duplicately the image of the material video program from the storage means in accordance with a program length extending or shortening ratio N based on the program lengths of the material video program and the target video program. According to the present invention, the program length can be freely extended or shortened using storage means of a small capacity while the recording device is being operated at a normal rate.

Abstract: A format of data recorded in a DVD-Audio disc is composed of an audio manager (AMG) and a plurality of audio title sets (ATSs) following the AMG. A plurality of audio packs are arranged in each ATS. An audio signal indicating a musical composition is encoded to audio data in a signal processing circuit, and the audio data is arranged in the audio packs. The audio data of the audio packs are formatted in a DVD formatting unit with the AMG to be arranged in the ATSs following the AMG. Also, copyright information is arranged in an area of a control data block placed in a read-in area of the DVD-Audio disc. Table-of-contents (TOC) information indicating a top address of the audio data is automatically produced and is arranged in an empty area of the control data block reserved for the copyright information, in an area of the audio packs, in an area of the AMG or in an area of the ATSs.

Abstract: An information storage medium capable of recording and playing back still picture information is provided with a first information unit having one still picture information, and a first group unit which is composed of a set of first information units, and has a plurality of pieces of still picture information having different contents. Information is recorded in the first group unit.

Abstract: In bitstream recording presentation data is organized into Video Object Units. These have a variable size but have also a variable duration. To allow access to any Video Object Unit in the bitstream a mapping list is used which is based on pieces of the bitstream of constant size per piece. The mapping list additionally contains for each of these pieces a specific delta duration which indicates the difference between the arrival time of the first packet of a piece and the arrival time of the packet following immediately the last packet of that piece, and contains an initialization value which allows to have a share of equal bits between a predetermined amount of MSBs of application time stamps and the same amount of LSBs of the summation of said delta time durations.

Abstract: In the known color stripe process for preventing recording of video signals, the color burst present on each line of active video is modified so that any subsequent video tape recording of the video signal shows variations in the color fidelity that appear as undesirable bands or stripes of color error. This color stripe process is defeated first by determining the location of the video lines including the color stripe process, either by prior experimentation or by on-line detection. Then some or all of the lines including the modified color bursts are modified so as to render the overall video signal recordable. The modification is accomplished in a number of ways, including phase shifting the color stripe burst into the correct phase, replacing some of the color stripe bursts or a portion of particular color stripe bursts so that they are no longer effective, and mixing the color stripe burst with color stripe signals of the correct phase so as to eliminate most or all of the phase error present.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for recording an AV file using an information recording disk in which data is recorded/reproduced by sectors. The recording method includes the steps of: determining whether or not input data is AV data; detecting a defective sector existing in an assigned data recording area; when the input data is AV data while a defective sector is detected in the data recording area, allocating a defective extent including the defective sector; recording AV data in continuous sectors while skipping the defective extent; and allocating an area of continuous sectors where only the AV data is recorded as one AV extent.

Abstract: Systems and methods adapted to optimize data throughput in wireless communications network are shown and described. In the preferred embodiment multiple antenna beam base stations are utilized to provide reuse of communications channels. Reuse of the communications channels by the base stations is preferably optimized by considering mutually exclusive antenna beam pairs and antenna beam pairs providing reduced signal quality. A preferred embodiment control channel is taught which provides for the initial and subsequent identification and use of a most preferred antenna beam for establishing communications. Alternative embodiments of the invention utilize multiple antenna beam remote stations.

Abstract: A device for supplying commentary streaming related to a data unit via a network, including: a server, for storing a commentary stream which has first commentary information and corresponding navigation commands, and outputting the commentary stream according to a data unit identifier; and a client end, for reading the data unit identifier, outputting the data unit identifier to the server via the network, receiving the commentary stream via the network, then providing second commentary information from the data unit according to the navigation commands, and then outputting commentary information corresponding to a combination of the first commentary information and the second commentary information.

Abstract: A digital video data system automatically skips the playback of recorded video data to a position that corresponds to a transition between segments of the video data. Positions that are candidates for being segment transitions are identified by quantifying the rate of change of one or more parameters of the video data at multiple positions and determining positions for which the rate of change is locally maximal. Parameters such as luminance, I-frame frequency, and frame size tend to change most rapidly at segment transitions. Information relating to the change in the parameter values is stored with recorded video data so that it can be used to identify segment transitions during playback of the video data. During playback, and in response to user input, the system selects a position where the rate of change of parameter values is locally maximal and skips playback to that position.

Abstract: Detecting a physical location change of a mobile communications device may initiate a process to initiate, or cancel, forwarding of future incoming communications to the mobile communications device. Forwarding information for a mobile communications device may be accessed and modified using an interface that communicates using an Internet Protocol network.

Abstract: A digital video reproduction method, a digital video reproducing (playing) apparatus and a digital video recording and reproducing (playing) apparatus that allows a spectator to easily and precisely shift (jump) the playing position to a scene of his choice an then start playing from a desired scene. According to such digital video reproduction method, digital video reproducing apparatus and digital video recording and reproducing apparatus, a time bar corresponding to the timeline for the video contents is displayed on the screen. Then, an icon showing the starting position of the event scene that is peculiar to the motion picture is displayed. Upon operating a remote controller, the spectator selects an icon of his choice by moving a cursor to the icon, so that the reproduction of image can be started from the starting position of the event scene corresponding to the selected icon.