Patents by Inventor John O. Ryan
John O. Ryan 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: 6188832Abstract: A video signal is modified so that a television/receiver still produces a normal picture from the modified signal, whereas videotape recording of this signal produces generally unacceptable pictures. Videotape recorders have an automatic gain control circuit (FIG. 2) which measures the sync pulse level in a video signal and develops a gain control correction signal for keeping the video applied to an FM modulator in the videotape recording system at a fixed predetermined level. A portion of the back porch intervals following the trailing edges of a substantial number of sync pulses are significantly raised and lowered to improve the playability of the original signal without reducing the effectiveness of the copy protection of the copied signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 1998Date of Patent: February 13, 2001Assignee: Microvision CorpInventor: John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 6091822Abstract: A technique is disclosed for preventing unauthorized playback of scrambled video/audio signals recorded on, for example, a video tape cassette, which technique includes several cooperating processes and apparatus which further prevent the playback of recorded video/audio when the playback apparatus is in a still or pause mode of operation. The technique includes selected combinations of processes of inverting and re-clamping the luminance component of the video signal just prior to FM modulation; blanking an overscan portion, or portions, of the video signal and adding a video retrace signal to the overscan portion(s); inverting the normal control track signal and position modulating the normally unused edge; and selectively scrambling the audio signal and recording the scrambled audio signal in an audio track or in a Hi-Fi track. A selected user specific authorization code is recording in and recovered from the audio track.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 1998Date of Patent: July 18, 2000Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: Andrew B. Mellows, John O. Ryan, William J. Wrobleski, Ronald Quan, Gerow D. Brill
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Patent number: 5844988Abstract: A video-scrambling system induces a random wobble i.e., time shifting, in the location of active portion of the video frame, without affecting the horizontal sync signal and colorburst in each video line, thus providing both security and concealment. The security is enhanced by filling in the gap between the nominal beginning of active video and the actual beginning of active video with a synthesized video signal which replicates the adjacent active video using a digitally generated filling pattern. Also, a random noise overlay further conceals the location of the gap. Additional concealment is provided by wiggling in time the location of the horizontal sync signal using one or two frequencies and also by randomly altering the location of the vertical sync signal. The NTSC digital encoding in accordance with the invention is simplified by using only two channels, chrominance and luminance, and by a heterodyne circuit for chrominance stability.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1995Date of Patent: December 1, 1998Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: John O. Ryan, James R. Holzgrafe
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Patent number: 5841863Abstract: A video-scrambling system induces a random wobble i.e., time shifting, in the location of active portion of the video frame, without affecting the horizontal sync signal and colorburst in each video line, thus providing both security and concealment. The security is enhanced by filling in the gap between the nominal beginning of active video and the actual beginning of active video with a synthesized video signal which replicates the adjacent active video using a digitally generated filling pattern. Also, a random noise overlay further conceals the location of the gap. Additional concealment is provided by wiggling in time the location of the horizontal sync signal using one or two frequencies and also by randomly altering the location of the vertical sync signal. The NTSC digital encoding in accordance with the invention is simplified by using only two channels, chrominance and luminance, and by a heterodyne circuit for chrominance stability.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1995Date of Patent: November 24, 1998Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: John O. Ryan, James R. Holzgrafe
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Patent number: 5784523Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 1997Date of Patent: July 21, 1998Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: Ronald Quan, John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 5754648Abstract: A system for providing security and tracking data for rental video media, including digital video discs and digital video cassettes. Those new formats for video players and media allow for inclusion of security features which both allow tracking of rental of such media and prevent unauthorized rental thereof. Each player includes a decision circuit which plays a particular disc (or tape) only if a player identification number recorded on a special separate authorization memory card is the same as the player identification stored in the player, and if a movie identification number optically read from the disc matches a movie identification number recorded on the special card. A corresponding apparatus is provided at the video rental store which, at the time of rental, records on the authorization card in encrypted form the movie identification number and the number of the particular disc player for which that rental is intended.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 1997Date of Patent: May 19, 1998Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: John O. Ryan, E. Fraser Morrison, Gregory C. Copeland
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Patent number: 5754649Abstract: A video disc designed for providing security and tracking data in the rental video media market. Those new formats for video players and media allow for inclusion of security features which both allow tracking of rental of such media and prevent unauthorized rental thereof Each player includes a decision circuit which plays a particular optical disc only if a player identification number recorded on a special separate magnetic track on the optical disk is the same as the player identification stored in the player, and if a movie identification number optically read from the disc matches a movie identification number recorded on the special separate magnetic track. A corresponding apparatus is provided at the video rental store which, at the time of rental, records on a magnetic portion of the media in encrypted form the movie identification number and the number of the particular disc player for which that rental is intended.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 1997Date of Patent: May 19, 1998Assignee: Macrovision Corp.Inventors: John O. Ryan, E. Fraser Morrison, Gregory C. Copeland
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Patent number: 5751806Abstract: A system and method of information dissemination that permits the user to listen to the specific content of information when and where he or she wants to. A radio or television receiver system receives information from a FM subcarrier, a television vertical blanking interval transmission, a television separate audio program transmission or a dedicated channel and stores the transmitted information in a memory. A user interface allows selection from the memory of the stored information via a set of menus controlling a hierarchical database, so as to access particular items of information. Typically the system includes RAM and/or a storage medium such as a digital audio tape,a magneto-optical mini-disk, a magnetic disk or optical disk, sufficient to store information for 10 hours of audio. A decompression device, accepts the accessed compressed digital audio information items which may have been encrypted and transforms them into spoken speech.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 1996Date of Patent: May 12, 1998Assignee: Command Audio CorporationInventor: John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 5659613Abstract: A method and apparatus for copyright protection for various recording media such as Digital Video Discs (DVDs) uses a combination of a Video Finger Print Signal and an Authenticating Signature to permit the player to handle either copy-protected or non-copy-protected media, in a manner that is difficult to compromise. Both a Video Finger Print Signal and an Authenticating Signature are recorded on the media only when copy-protection is required. The nature of this Authenticating Signature is such that it will not be transferred to illicit copies made on CD recorders. When either an original protected or an original non-protected disk is played, the presence or absence of the Authenticating Signature causes the player to correctly play the program video. All original DVDs therefore play normally. When a copy of a non-protected CD is played, the absence of the Video Print Signal also causes the player to correctly playback the video signal data.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: August 19, 1997Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: Gregory C. Copeland, John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 5633927Abstract: Enhancements to a video anticopying process that causes an abnormally low amplitude video signal to be recorded on an illegal copy. The enhancements in one version introduce into the overscan portion of the television picture, just prior to the horizontal or vertical sync signals but in active video, a negative going waveform that appears to the television receiver or videotape recorder to be a sync signal, thereby causing an early horizontal or vertical retrace. One version provides (in the right overscan portion of the picture), a checker pattern of alternating gray and black areas which causes the TV set on which the illegal copy is played to horizontally retrace earlier than normal in selected lines with a consequential horizontal shift of the picture information on those lines. This substantially degrades picture viewability. In another version a gray pattern at the bottom overscan portion of the picture causes vertical picture instability.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 1995Date of Patent: May 27, 1997Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan
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Patent number: 5608799Abstract: A video-scrambling system induces a random wobble i.e., time shifting, in the location of active portion of the video frame, without affecting the horizontal sync signal and colorburst in each video line, thus providing both security and concealment. The security is enhanced by filling in the gap between the nominal beginning of active video and the actual beginning of active video with a synthesized video signal which replicates the adjacent active video using a digitally generated filling pattern. Also, a random noise overlay further conceals the location of the gap. Additional concealment is provided by wiggling in time the location of the horizontal sync signal using one or two frequencies and also by randomly altering the location of the vertical sync signal. The NTSC digital encoding in accordance with the invention is simplified by using only two channels, chrominance and luminance, and by a heterodyne circuit for chrominance stability.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1995Date of Patent: March 4, 1997Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan, James R. Holzgrafe, Peter J. Wonfor
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Patent number: 5590194Abstract: A video scrambling and descrambling system that produces color video that is difficult or annoying to watch by randomly switching the color components of a component or composite video. In the scrambling portion, component or composite video is decoded into a luminance component and its two color components. A random switching signal is generated to randomly switch the relationship of the color component signals. The randomly switched color component signals may be encoded together with the luminance signal to produce a component or composite video signal that is scrambled. The random switching signal may be transmitted as part of the encoded signal or through a separate data channel medium. A descrambling portion first separates the scrambled component or composite video signal into a luminance component and two scrambled color components.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 1994Date of Patent: December 31, 1996Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventor: John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 5590195Abstract: A system and method of information dissemination that permits the user to listen to the specific content of information when and where he or she wants to. A radio or television receiver system receives information from an FM subcarrier, a television vertical blanking interval transmission, a television separate audio program transmission or a dedicated radio channel and stores the transmitted information in a memory. A user interface allows selection from the memory of the stored information via a set of menus controlling a hierarchical database, so as to access particular items of information. Typically the system includes RAM and/or a storage medium such as a digital audio tape, a magneto-optical mini-disk, a magnetic disk or optical disk, sufficient to store information for 10 hours of audio. A decompression device accepts the accessed compressed digital audio information items (which may have been encrypted) and transforms them into spoken speech.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 1994Date of Patent: December 31, 1996Assignee: Command Audio CorporationInventor: John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 5583936Abstract: Enhancements to a video anticopying process that causes an abnormally low amplitude video signal to be recorded on an illegal copy. The enhancements in one version introduce into the overscan portion of the television picture, just prior to the horizontal or vertical sync signals but in active video, a negative going waveform that appears to the television receiver or videotape recorder to be a sync signal, thereby causing an early horizontal or vertical retrace. One version provides (in the right overscan portion of the picture), a checker pattern of alternating gray and black areas which causes the TV set on which the illegal copy is played to horizontally retrace earlier than normal in selected lines with a consequential horizontal shift of the picture information on those lines. This substantially degrades picture viewability. In another version a gray pattern at the bottom overscan portion of the picture causes vertical picture instability.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 1993Date of Patent: December 10, 1996Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Alistair J. Knox, Jeremy J. Corcoran, John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan
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Patent number: 5581307Abstract: A video-scrambling system induces a random wobble i.e., time shifting, in the location of active portion of the video frame, without affecting the horizontal sync signal and colorburst in each video line, thus providing both security and concealment. The security is enhanced by filling in the gap between the nominal beginning of active video and the actual beginning of active video with a synthesized video signal which replicates the adjacent active video using a digitally generated filling pattern. Also, a random noise overlay further conceals the location of the gap. Additional concealment is provided by wiggling in time the location of the horizontal sync signal using one or two frequencies and also by randomly altering the location of the vertical sync signal. The NTSC digital encoding in accordance with the invention is simplified by using only two channels, chrominance and luminance, and by a heterodyne circuit for chrominance stability.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1995Date of Patent: December 3, 1996Inventors: John O. Ryan, James R. Holzgrafe
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Patent number: 5579390Abstract: A video-scrambling system induces a random wobble i.e., time shifting, in the location of active portion of the video frame, without affecting the horizontal sync signal and colorburst in each video line, thus providing both security and concealment. The security is enhanced by filling in the gap between the nominal beginning of active video and the actual beginning of active video with a synthesized video signal which replicates the adjacent active video using a digitally generated filling pattern. Also, a random noise overlay further conceals the location of the gap. Additional concealment is provided by wiggling in time the location of the horizontal sync signal using one or two frequencies and also by randomly altering the location of the vertical sync signal. The NTSC digital encoding in accordance with the invention is simplified by using only two channels, chrominance and luminance, and by a heterodyne circuit for chrominance stability.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1995Date of Patent: November 26, 1996Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan, James R. Holzgrafe, Peter J. Wonfor
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Patent number: 5574787Abstract: A video recording platform prevents both analog and digital copying of copy protected material. The platform may input and output both analog and digital video signals. At said analog input, a detector detects conventional copy protection in the analog input video, and in response disables recording thereof. At the digital input, a first detector detects a copyright signature present in the input material and in response prevents recording. A specially adapted video recorder, playback device or set top decoder copy protects video source material which has a copyright signature. A copyright signature is provided in a predetermined location in said video signal to be protected. The video recorder, playback device, or set top decoder upon detection of the copyright signature on its input or at playback, modifies the output standard (NTSC) video signal with a conventional copy protection process and the digital output with a new copyright signature.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 1994Date of Patent: November 12, 1996Inventor: John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 5524051Abstract: A system and method of information dissemination that permits the user to listen to the specific content of information when and where he or she wants to. A radio or television receiver system receives information from an FM subcarrier, a television vertical blanking interval transmission, an active picture area television transmission a television separate audio program transmission or a dedicated radio channel and stores the transmitted information in a memory. A user interface allows selection from the memory of the stored information via a set of menus controlling a hierarchical database, so as to access particular items of the information. Typically the system includes RAM and/or a magnetic storage medium such as a digital audio tape, a magneto-optical mini-disk, a magnetic disk or optical disk, sufficient to store information for several hours of audio output. A decompression device accepts the accessed compressed digital audio information items and transforms them into audible speech signals.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 1994Date of Patent: June 4, 1996Assignee: Command Audio CorporationInventor: John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 5513260Abstract: A method and apparatus for copyright protection for various recording media such as compact discs (CDs) uses a combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical data encryption to permit the player to handle either copy-protected or non-copy-protected media, in a manner that is extremely difficult to compromise. Coupled with the combination of encrypting methods, an Authenticating Signature is recorded on the media only when copy-protection is required. The nature of this Authenticating Signature is such that it will not be transferred to illicit copies made on CD recorders. When either an original protected or an original non-protected disk is played, the presence or absence of the Authenticating Signature causes the player to correctly decrypt the program data. All original CDs therefore play normally. When a copy of a non-protected CD is played, the absence of the Authenticating Signature also causes the player to correctly decrypt the program data.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1994Date of Patent: April 30, 1996Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventor: John O. Ryan
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Patent number: 5504815Abstract: A video-scrambling system induces a random wobble i.e., time shifting, in the location of active portion of the video frame, without affecting the horizontal sync signal and colorburst in each video line, thus providing both security and concealment. The security is enhanced by filling in the gap between the nominal beginning of active video and the actual beginning of active video with a synthesized video signal which replicates the adjacent active video using a digitally generated filling pattern. Also, a random noise overlay further conceals the location of the gap. Additional concealment is provided by wiggling in time the location of the horizontal sync signal using one or two frequencies and also by randomly altering the location of the vertical sync signal. The NTSC digital encoding in accordance with the invention is simplified by using only two channels, chrominance and luminance, and by a heterodyne circuit for chrominance stability.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1995Date of Patent: April 2, 1996Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan, James R. Holzgrafe, Peter J. Wonfor