Abstract: System for conveying a stream of information. The system includes an encoding device employing a spatio-temporal coding scheme that omits light, including codes embedded therein that are invisible to a user. A receiver that might be a cell phone camera receives light from the encoding device and computer apparatus is programmed with software to decode the received light to generate the stream of information. The encoding device is preferably a video display.

Abstract: A method of processing video data created for display in one aspect ratio in a plurality of different sequences of frames thereof, each frame in a sequence containing background data which represents at least a part of the same relatively stationary background data in the sequence. The background data in each frame of a sequence is stored and processed so as to produce combined background data representing the background image in the sequence in a different aspect ratio, without the presence of moving objects therein. Data representing moving objects in each frame of a sequence are stored together with selected portions of the background data which surround the moving objects in each frame.

Abstract: A television encoder for generating a receiver-compatible signal from a production video signal containing enhancement information which cannot be displayed on a standard receiver, the receiver-compatible signal being compatible with the standard receiver, the encoder including a filter bank for dividing the video signal into at least two groups of spatial frequency components including a first group and a second group, the first group containing members which when combined together form a standard video signal which is displayed by the standard receiver and the second group containing the enhancement information; a quantizer for quantizing at least one member of the first group; a combiner for adding at least one member of the second group to a quantized member of the first group to produce a modified first group; and a synthesizer for combining the members of the modified first group to generate the receiver-compatible signal.

Abstract: A position sensing system which allows the arthroscopist to readily determine the location of an arthroscope's tip in relation to the point of entry has been developed. The position sensing apparatus can be employed in conjunction with a graphics module to display the location of the arthroscope in real time and provide perspective views of the instrument's location.

Abstract: Methods and systems for adding additional information to broadcast motion picture signals so that an advanced receiver can decode that information to provide improved picture quality, while a standard receiver will display an image with minimally visible impairments. In particular, chrominance information can be generated at a fraction of the frame rate and the alternate frames then used to encode additional data, such as high definition luminance information in the chrominance signal.

Abstract: Image encoding apparatus and methods include recursively decomposing the luminance values of sequential frames into spatio-temporal spectral components, by quadrature mirror filter (QMF) processing of the luminance values. The filtered signals are subsampled, and each decomposed level of the spectral components is coded by vector quantization.

Abstract: A technique for handling video signals so as to permit such signals to be satisfactorily displayed on video display devices, such as TV receivers or monitors, but to prevent such signals from being satisfactorily recorded by video recording devices. In a particular embodiment thereof the video frame time base is altered in a selected manner, as by lengthening or shortening the time bases of successive video frames, or successive groups of video frames. The alterations thereof can be in discrete steps and be performed cyclically so that during each overall cyclical time period the cumulative error is zero.