Abstract: MPEG video uses motion compensated prediction for coding pictures. A GOP includes at least one intra-coded picture to start decoding with and a number of inter-coded pictures and normally also includes bi-directionally predicted pictures. However, the GOP structure is not constructed for playing GOPs in backward direction in a trickplay mode across GOP boarders. The invention facilitates, for different GOP structures, a smooth backward video mode thereby reducing the required number of frame buffers and achieving near real-time speed presentation. In some embodiments some I and/or P pictures are decoded more than once. The invention also allows backwards decoding of MPEG-4-AVC GOPs including B-stored pictures.

Abstract: The gist of the invention is a subtitling format encompassing elements of enhanced syntax and semantic to provide improved animation capabilities. The disclosed elements improve subtitle performance without stressing the available subtitle bitrate. This will become essential for authoring content of high-end HDTV subtitles in pre-recorded format, which can be broadcast or stored on high capacity optical media, e.g. the Blue-ray Disc. The invention includes abilities for improved authoring possibilities for the content production to animate subtitles. For subtitles that are separate from AV material, the method includes using one or more superimposed subtitle layers, and displaying only a selected part of the transferred subtitles at a time. Further, colors of a selected part of the displayed subtitles may be modified, e.g. highlighted.

Abstract: The handling of large amounts of data on storing media shall be simplified. Therefore, a method for maintaining a storage media by generating, editing or reading log data related to the content and usage of a data item stored or to be stored on a storage medium is provided. Data items are deleted or recommendations for deletion are provided on the basis of the log data from the storage medium. Thus, the user is relieved from the unpleasant and time-consuming task of deleting data items from recording media.

Abstract: Optical storage media often contain data structures for a menu suitable for selection of a title, a chapter, a parameter or others. Such menus usually comprise a number of buttons to be displayed, with each button having a state. Possible states of buttons are “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the representation of a menu button may vary, depending on its state. An image or an image sequence, e.g. cartoon, may be associated to a buttons state, providing user animation. Further, a sound or sound sequence, e.g. melody or click, may be associated to a buttons state, and may be played back when the button enters this state. A data structure is disclosed which allows storage of such menu data e.g. on a Blu-ray disc.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of editing a data stream, the data stream having a first unique identifier of an identifier space and having assigned metadata, the metadata comprising meta information and a metadata link, the metadata link comprising the first unique identifier and at least one data packet identifier. When performing an editing operation on the data stream, a second unique identifier of the identifier space is assigned to the data stream and the first unique identifier for a resolver task is stored, using a decision metric for updating the meta link.

Abstract: Optical storage media often contain data structures for a menu suitable for selection of a title, a chapter, a parameter or others. Such menus usually comprise a number of buttons to be displayed, with each button having a state. Possible states of buttons are “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the representation of a menu button may vary, depending on its state. An image or an image sequence, e.g. cartoon, may be associated to a buttons state, providing user animation. Further, a sound or sound sequence, e.g. melody or click, may be associated to a buttons state, and may be played back when the button enters this state. A data structure is disclosed which allows storage of such menu data e.g. on a Blu-ray disc.

Abstract: DVD Rewritable/Re-recordable discs will be used for recording and playing back digital bitstreams, for example MPEG data packets. To enable proper real-time playback of stored MPEG transport packets, a time information is to be added to every data packet to be recorded. A DVD streamer is connected to the application device via an interface, e.g. IEEE 1394. The interface internally uses timestamps having a special format. According to the invention, such interface-generated timestamps are also used for the DVD stream recording, instead of additionally generated independent streamer-specific timestamps. However, a timestamp format conversion is to be carried out because the DVD Streamer timestamp format is different from the IEEE 1394 timestamp format. For such timestamp format conversion differences between consecutive IEEE 1394 timestamps are determined and are used for calculating the DVD stream recording timestamps.

Abstract: The invention relates to the updating of a local copy of metadata. First change history data of metadata are read from an optical storage medium. Second change history data of the metadata are read from a local storage of an optical storage medium playback and/or recording device. If the first and second change history data are different a change attribute is read a from the optical storage medium and an update operation of the metadata stored in the local storage or an update operation in the optical storage medium is determined depending on the change attribute.

Abstract: The DVD Stream Recording standard defines application packets as the logically smallest units created from the input data stream during recording. Usually the conversion from a point on the time axis to a corresponding application packet is realized by using a mapping list available in the navigation data. However, depending on the target time and a Stream Object selected, the match found can vary significantly. The invention allows editing a recorded stream of application packets with higher precision. The stream comprises at least a first application packet having a first arrival time stamp and a subsequent second application packet having a second arrival time stamp. For editing the recorded stream a discrete time is input that is a start time or an end time and has a value between the first arrival time stamp and the second arrival time stamp. The discrete time is mapped onto the first or the second arrival time stamp, and the recorded stream is edited correspondingly.

Abstract: An architecture for a multimedia peer-to-peer home network allows the simple definition of peer groups, or zones, where each peer is capable of automatically identifying whether other peers are members of the same group, or of another group, by using group labels. Each peer may freely cooperate with the other peers of the same group, or with peers of previously specified other groups. e.g. exchange information or share resources. The architecture aims to map an atmosphere of trust existing between users to a technical system. namely their respective home networks. Using this architecture, it is e.g. possible that users who trust each other may give each other access to their own home network, or parts of it.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital audio and/or video recorder and to a method for recording of program data comprised in a transport stream, the transport stream having metadata, the method comprising the steps of: de-multiplexing the transport stream to provide the program data and the metadata, storing the program data in a digital recording format, the digital recording format having a first data structure for storing of navigation data and a second data structure of a second stream format for storage of program data packets, transforming the metadata into the first data structure, and storing the transformed metadata as part of the navigation data.

Abstract: A method for automatic detection of data types for data type dependent processing has two orthogonal classification systems defined, and determines for incoming data items a data type according to the first classification system and another data type according to the second classification system. The first classification system comprises the data types Essence, Metadata and Container. The second classification system comprises the data types Physical Data and Abstract Data. A default data type may be defined for data items not being uniquely classifiable. Advantageously, the inventive method can be used when different classes of data items require different methods for processing, e.g. content searching.

Abstract: In the case of trick mode decoding e.g. single step backward, it is necessary to decode any picture in the GOP independently from its location within the GOP. The inventive method for reproducing a digital data stream containing program information for trick mode display includes the following steps of decoded the incoming digital data stream in normal playmode. Creating a group of picture history during normal decoding and storing the history in a GOP history logger. For trick mode playback the digital data stream is edited using the GOP history to achieve the correct display order. For trick mode operation the edited bitstream is decoded and the target picture is displayed.

Abstract: According to the invention sub-picture data are organized in sub-picture units, the sub-picture units comprising pixel data in a pixel data area as well as display control data and/or address information data, wherein a sub-picture unit of a second sub-picture stream is inserted into the pixel data area of a sub-picture unit of a first sub-picture stream. This permits several sub-picture streams for systems, which are defined to allow only a single sub-picture stream. Especially for DVD-VR conflicts with the already existing DVD-VR specification are avoided. Therefore, enhanced DVD-VR devices using the invention are able to record and playback additional sub-picture streams and conventional DVD-VR devices are able to record and playback the same signal without any compatibility problems, although restricted to only a single sub-picture stream.

Abstract: In DVD Stream Recording Stream Object Units are real-time recorded, wherein such fixed-length Stream Object Units serve as a container for Application Packets that have a variable length and carry payload data and an Application Time Stamp, this timestamp enabling proper real-time playback. In case the temporal distance between two succeeding application packets is too big, stuffing data must be inserted into the corresponding Stream Object Units. The real-time stuffing control is performed such that overflow of the input buffer is avoided in case of a specific kind of input signals.

Abstract: An architecture for a multimedia peer-to-peer home network allows the automated definition of peer groups, or zones, by using group labels, where each peer is capable of automatically identifying whether other peers are members of the same group, or of another group, and where each peer may freely cooperate with other peers of the same group, e.g. exchange information or share resources like storage capacity. Using this architecture, it is e.g. possible that a user who is accessing a node within a peer group has also access to any other node of the peer group, without being requested for authentication. Another characteristic is that other peer groups can be defined which have access rights to network resources and services. Advantageously, the invention simplifies network creation and operation by not requiring the user to have special networking knowledge.

Abstract: Optical storage media often contain data structures for a menu suitable for selection of a title, a chapter, a parameter or others. Such menus usually comprise a number of buttons to be displayed, with each button having a state. Possible states of buttons are “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the representation of a menu button may vary, depending on its state. An image or an image sequence, e.g. cartoon, may be associated to a buttons state, providing user animation. Further, a sound or sound sequence, e.g. melody or click, may be associated to a buttons state, and may be played back when the button enters this state. A data structure is disclosed which allows storage of such menu data e.g. on a Blu-ray disc.

Abstract: Several data streams contain video, audio and/or other data. Some of the data streams are pre-recorded in a multiplex on a storage medium while other data streams are located out of the data stream multiplex on the storage medium. The data streams are synchronized using a navigation file, which comprises descriptors pointing to parts of said data streams, wherein said descriptors define the arrangement in time for said data streams by means of data sub stream paths.

Abstract: A method for calling up information about current radio and television programs wherein desired signals are transmitted together or separately with decodable additional information signals. The method includes the steps of selecting from the additional information signals that information which is directly or indirectly linked to time information. The selected information is compared with a time period which can be predetermined and within which the current time and/or the time assigned to the current program occurs. The information corresponding to this time period is then displayed on a display device of a receiving device which receives the desired signals and additional information signals.

Abstract: Subtitling can be based on either pixel data or on character data. Character data allow very efficient encoding, but from character strings alone, subtitling can not be converted into a graphical representation to be overlaid over video. The intended character set, font and e.g. font size, must either be coded explicitly within the subtitling bitstream or an implicit assumption must be made about them. In pixel-based subtitling, subtitling frames are conveyed directly in the form of graphical representations by describing them as (typically rectangular) regions of pixel values on the AV screen, at the cost of considerably increased bandwidth for the subtitling data. According to the invention, a font memory is used that allows an efficient realization of pixel-based subtitle lettering, because the glyphs need only be transmitted once and thereafter are referenced by relatively compact character references during the AV event.