Patents by Inventor Dirk Gandolph
Dirk Gandolph has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9445042Abstract: 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 (List_of_PlayItems), which comprises descriptors (PlayItems, SubPlayItems) 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2016Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Dirk Gandolph, Harald Schiller, Jobst Hoerentrup, Ralf Ostermann, Hartmut Peters
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Publication number: 20160259504Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2016Publication date: September 8, 2016Inventors: Jobst HOERENTRUP, Dirk GANDOLPH, Ralf OSTERMANN, Harald SCHILLER, Hui LI
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Patent number: 9436355Abstract: Multimedia content of exchangeable storage media, such as optical discs, may be extended by bonus content that is downloaded via Internet connection and stored on a local storage device. An improved method for integration of different menu items relating to on-disc content and downloaded content provides flexibility and a simple, low cost solution. The method for integration of downloaded bonus content into a menu comprises defining one or more placeholders within a menu, determining a storage location or naming convention for bonus content, declaring for each placeholder an attribute providing a unique association to a specific type of bonus content, providing a button image, detecting presence of bonus content data, replacing the associated placeholder by the associated button image and enabling an associated action to be taken when said button is selected.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2015Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Carsten Herpel, Jobst Höerentrup, Ralf Ostermann, Hartmut Peters, Dirk Gandolph
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Publication number: 20160211000Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include 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. Embodiments of the invention include abilities for improved authoring possibilities for the content production to animate subtitles. For subtitles that are separate from AV material, a 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2014Publication date: July 21, 2016Inventors: Dirk GANDOLPH, Jobst HOERENTRUP, Ralf OSTERMANN, Hartmut PETERS, Harald SCHILLER
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Patent number: 9395896Abstract: A method for generating an on-screen menu comprising menu buttons and other menu items, e.g. help text, is characterized in that one or more groups of menu buttons or menu items are defined, wherein a group comprises one or more menu buttons or menu items and has associated a defined area on the screen. A state is assigned to a button, the state being “enabled” or “disabled”, wherein only an enabled button or item may be displayed, and wherein within a group not more than one button or item may be enabled. The state of a button can be changed by commands associated with other buttons.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2015Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Jobst Hoerentrup, Dirk Gandolph, Carsten Herpel, Ralf Ostermann, Hartmut Peters
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Patent number: 9395897Abstract: A method for generating an on-screen menu comprising menu buttons and other menu items, e.g. help text, is characterized in that one or more groups of menu buttons or menu items are defined, wherein a group comprises one or more menu buttons or menu items and has associated a defined area on the screen. A state is assigned to a button, the state being “enabled” or “disabled”, wherein only an enabled button or item may be displayed, and wherein within a group not more than one button or item may be enabled. The state of a button can be changed by commands associated with other buttons.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2015Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Jobst Hoerentrup, Dirk Gandolph, Carsten Herpel, Ralf Ostermann, Hartmut Peters
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Publication number: 20160203612Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating temporally and multi-view consistent superpixels for a sequence of multi-view images. A sequence generator generates an ordered sequence of views forming a joined path from views of a first multi-view capture and views of a second multi-view capture, wherein in the joined path the views of the second multi-view capture have an order which is a reverse of an order of the views of the first multi-view capture. A superpixel generator then applies an algorithm for generating temporally consistent superpixels for the ordered sequence of views.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2016Publication date: July 14, 2016Inventors: Dirk GANDOLPH, Wolfram PUTZKE-ROEMING, Joern JACHALSKY
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Patent number: 9384210Abstract: Local storage on player instruments provides the ability for adding further amendments and most recent supplements to the optical disc content. A problem arising with this technically applicable possibility is the protection of copyrights bound to disc and supplement data. The present invention describes a technique to ensure a security framework that is able to handle this, by creating a virtual file system (VFS) by merging optical disc data and local storage data based upon a common identifier.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2015Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: THOMSON LICENSINGInventors: Dirk Gandolph, Jobst Hoerentrup, Ralf Ostermann, Carsten Herpel, Uwe Janssen, Hartmut Peters, Andrej Schewzow, Marco Winter
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Patent number: 9378221Abstract: Local storage on player instruments provides the ability for adding further amendments and most recent supplements to the optical disc content. A problem arising with this technically applicable possibility is the protection of copyrights bound to disc and supplement data. The present invention describes a technique to ensure a security framework that is able to handle this, by creating a virtual file system (VFS) by merging optical disc data and local storage data based upon a common identifier.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2014Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: THOMSON LICENSINGInventors: Dirk Gandolph, Jobst Hoerentrup, Ralf Ostermann, Carsten Herpel, Uwe Janssen, Hartmut Peters, Andrej Schewzow, Marco Winter
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Patent number: 9378220Abstract: Local storage on player instruments provides the ability for adding further amendments and most recent supplements to the optical disc content. A problem arising with this technically applicable possibility is the protection of copyrights bound to disc and supplement data. The present invention describes a technique to ensure a security framework that is able to handle this, by creating a virtual file system (VFS) by merging optical disc data and local storage data based upon a common identifier.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2014Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: THOMSON LICENSINGInventors: Dirk Gandolph, Jobst Hoerentrup, Ralf Ostermann, Carsten Herpel, Uwe Janssen, Hartmut Peters, Andrej Schewzow, Marco Winter
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Patent number: 9377931Abstract: 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; e.g., “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the menu may contain buttons that can be selected through the keys on the remote control, but that don't have any images or text associated. This allows creating “invisible buttons” that automatically execute commands upon selection. 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. Such menu data may be stored; e.g., on a Blu-ray disc.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2014Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Jobst Hoerentrup, Ralf Ostermann, Harald Schiller, Dirk Gandolph
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Patent number: 9372599Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2015Date of Patent: June 21, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Jobst Hoerentrup, Dirk Gandolph, Ralf Ostermann, Harald Schiller, Hui Li
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Patent number: 9367210Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2015Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Jobst Hoerentrup, Dirk Gandolph, Ralf Ostermann, Harald Schiller, Hui Li
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Publication number: 20160156872Abstract: 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 (List of PlayItems), which comprises descriptors (Play-Items, SubPlayItems) 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2016Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventors: Dirk GANDOLPH, Harald SCHILLER, Jobst HOERENTRUP, Ralf OSTERMANN, Hartmut PETERS
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Patent number: 9354783Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2015Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Jobst Hoerentrup, Dirk Gandolph, Ralf Ostermann, Harald Schiller, Hui Li
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Patent number: 9354784Abstract: Multimedia content of exchangeable storage media, such as optical discs, may be extended by bonus content that is downloaded via Internet connection and stored on a local storage device. An improved method for integration of different menu items relating to on-disc content and downloaded content provides flexibility and a simple, low cost solution. The method for integration of downloaded bonus content into a menu comprises defining one or more placeholders within a menu, determining a storage location or naming convention for bonus content, declaring for each placeholder an attribute providing a unique association to a specific type of bonus content, providing a button image, detecting presence of bonus content data, replacing the associated placeholder by the associated button image and enabling an associated action to be taken when said button is selected.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2015Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Carsten Herpel, Jobst Höerentrup, Ralf Ostermann, Hartmut Peters, Dirk Gandolph
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Patent number: 9338390Abstract: 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 (List_of_PlayItems), which comprises descriptors (PlayItems, SubPlayItems) 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2015Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: Thomson LicensingInventors: Dirk Gandolph, Harald Schiller, Jobst Hoerentrup, Ralf Ostermann, Hartmut Peters
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Publication number: 20160104294Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating a superpixel cluster for an image or a sequence of images. A primary clustering unit generates a primary superpixel cluster using a fixed reference superpixel, whereas a secondary clustering unit generates two or more secondary superpixel clusters using a propagating reference superpixel. A combining unit then combines intersections between the primary superpixel cluster and the two or more secondary superpixel clusters to generate a final superpixel cluster.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2015Publication date: April 14, 2016Inventors: Dirk GANDOLPH, Wolfram PUTZKE-ROEMING
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Patent number: 9304664Abstract: A method for generating multi-language menus comprises grouping language-dependent menu resource files on a storage medium, and selecting only those menu resource files from a group that are labeled with an indication that matches the preferred menu language of the respective player.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2014Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: THOMAS LICENSINGInventors: Jobst Hoerentrup, Dirk Gandolph, Ralf Ostermann, Carsten Herpel, Uwe Janssen, Hartmut Peters, Andrej Schewzow, Marco Winter
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Patent number: 9298354Abstract: A method for generating multi-language menus comprises grouping language-dependent menu resource files on a storage medium, and selecting only those menu resource files from a group that are labeled with an indication that matches the preferred menu language of the respective player.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2014Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: THOMSON LICENSINGInventors: Jobst Hoerentrup, Dirk Gandolph, Ralf Ostermann, Carsten Herpel, Uwe Janssen, Hartmut Peters, Andrej Schewzow, Marco Winter