Abstract: A system generates automatically a highlight summary of a performance, from signals representing a captured version of the performance. The system includes a user operated event logging processor and an ingestion processor. The user operated event logging processor is operable to log event codes, each of which is selected by the user from a set of event codes. Each of the event codes in the set of event codes represents a predetermined event which may occur in the performance, the event codes being selected by the user when an event corresponding to the event code occurs during an observed performance. The ingestion processor is operable to receive the event codes and to receive signals produced by capturing a representation of the performance.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method generate a three dimensional representation of a scene which includes a plurality of objects disposed on a plane. The three dimensional representation is generated from one or more video images of the scene, which include the objects on the plane produced from a view of the scene by a video camera. The method comprises processing the captured video images so as to extract one or more image features from each object, comparing the one or more image features with sample image features from a predetermined set of possible example objects which the video images may contain, and identifying the objects from the comparison of the image features with the stored image features of the possible example objects. The method also includes generating object path data, which includes object identification data for each object which identifies the respective object; and provides a position of the object on the plane in the video images with respect to time.

Abstract: A client device for use in a system having a server, the client device including: a receiving device configured to receive information material from the server, the information material containing a reversible modification providing a perceptible disturbing effect to the information material, and to receive identifying information that distinguishes the information material from other information material available from the server and condition information which defines a predetermined condition that should be met in order for the reversible modification to be reversed; a transmission device which, in response to a user input providing enabling data which satisfies the predetermined condition, configured to transmit the identifying information and the enabling data to the server, wherein in response to the transmission of the enabling data and the identifying information, the receiving device is configured to receive a key and removing data defining an algorithm for removing the perceptible effect, the removi

Abstract: A system for watermarking and transferring watermarked material comprises a transaction server, first and second clients, first apparatus for applying a perceptible watermark to the material and second apparatus for removing the watermark. The server, clients and first and second apparatus are linked by one or more communications networks.

Abstract: A data encoding apparatus operable to encode a plurality of data blocks produces encoded data in accordance with at least one of a selectable target data quantity or a selectable target data quality.

Abstract: A method of embedding data in material comprises the steps of: embedding data in original material to produce data embedded material; removing the watermark from the data embedded material to produce recovered material; comparing the original and recovered material to determine the differences and locations of differences therebetween; and storing the said locations and corrections which correct the said differences. A method of removing the data embedded in the material, comprises the steps of: removing the data from the material to produce recovered material; deriving the said corrections and locations from the said store; and using the corrections to correct the recovered material at the said locations.

Abstract: A material (e.g. video, audio or data) processing system (648) processes material including a watermark. The system comprises a remover (640) for removing the watermark, a processor (646) for processing the material from which the watermark has been removed, and an inserter (642) for inserting a watermark into the processed material.

Abstract: An apparatus for embedding data in information material, the data being a plurality of data items each having a different relative importance. The apparatus comprises an encoding processor operable to encode each of said data items, and a combining processor operable to combine said encoded data items with said information material. The information material provides a limited data embedding capacity, as a result for example of the limited bandwidth of the information material itself. Each of the data items are encoded and embedded to the effect that a proportion of the limited data embedding capacity is allocated to the encoded data items in accordance with the relative importance of these data items. As such, for example, an amount of error protection given to each of the data items can be arranged in accordance with the importance of the data items, whilst still satisfying the limited data embedding capacity.

Abstract: A motion predictive inter frame compression system comprising a wavelet transform unit (80) for transforming space domain image data to the frequency domain. A motion estimator (30) operates in the space domain to produce motion vectors. The motion vectors are converted in a converter (31) to the frequency domain.

Abstract: Digital video processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of render processors arranged in an operational sequence, each operable to render an output result relating to an image of a video signal from input data relating to that and/or other images received from a preceding render processor in the operational sequence; and a render controller for controlling rendering operation of the render processors; each render processor being operable to communicate dependency data to the render controller, indicating which images must be rendered by a preceding render processor in order for that render processor to render output data relating to a required image; and the render controller being operable to control operation of the render processors so that images required by each render processor are rendered by preceding render processors in the operational sequence.

Abstract: An image data recording and transmission system is described in which a data compressor 76 decorrelates input image data into sub band component data, a data recorder 78 stores the sub band data, a data decompressor 80 decompresses data read from the data recorder and a transmission signal generator 82 produces a bandwidth limited transmission signal from the decompressed data. The combined action of a data sequencer 18, a quantizer 114 and an entropy encoder 20 within the data compressor act to remove from the data stream that information corresponding to frequencies not transmittable with the bandwidth limited transmission signal (e.g. PAL or NTSC) subsequently produced by a transmission signal generator 82. Accordingly, the data recorder need not use storage capacity recording data which cannot be used by the transmission signal generator.

Abstract: Video data compression apparatus comprises means for detecting image activity values indicative of image activity for regions of an input image to be compressed; means for filtering the detected image activity values to reduce the variation in image activity values between groups of adjacent regions of the image; and means for compressing the regions of the image by a degree of data compression dependent on the image activity value for each region.

Abstract: Digital video processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of render processors arranged in an operational sequence, each operable to render an output result relating to an image of a video signal from input data relating to that and/or other images received from a preceding render processor in the operational sequence; and a render controller for controlling rendering operation of the render processors; each render processor being operable to communicate dependency data to the render controller, indicating which images must be rendered by a preceding render processor in order for that render processor to render output data relating to a required image; and the render controller being operable to control operation of the render processors so that images required by each render processor are rendered by preceding render processors in the operational sequence.

Abstract: A material distribution apparatus, comprising a material server including a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into material to be distributed with the effect that the introduced data is at least difficult to perceive in the material, and a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible impairment into the material. A communications network distributes the impaired material to at least one client processor which includes an impairment reversing processor operable to reverse the impairment of the material to produce client restored material.

Abstract: A method of data processing in which a composite data processing operation, for execution by a data processing device having a memory, is assembled by a user as a linked list of sub-operations selected from a set of possible data processing sub-operations, comprises the steps of: as a sub-operation is selected by the user for inclusion in the composite operation, loading into the memory sub-operation data defining parameters of that sub-operation including input and output interfaces of that sub-operation; and in response to an initiation of execution of a sub-operation, loading sub-operation program code into the memory for execution by the data processing device; in which the sub-operation data requires less memory space than the sub-operation program code.

Abstract: A data encoding apparatus operable to encode a plurality of data blocks produces encoded data in accordance with at least one of a selectable target data quantity or a selectable target data quality.

Abstract: A method of identifying material comprises the step of inserting (882) an identifying code (886) into a signal as a watermark, and deriving (884) a signature from the material. The code and signature are stored in a database (894). The watermarked signal may be distributed and/or transmitted through a network (888). The signal may be processed in the network. A monitor (890) derives from the received signal, the signature and the code. They are compared (892) with the stored signature and code to check the provenance of the material.

Abstract: A material (e.g. video, audio or data) processing system (648) processes material including a watermark. The system comprises a remover (640) for removing the watermark, a processor (646) for processing the material from which the watermark has been removed, and an inserter (642) for inserting a watermark into the processed material.

Abstract: An apparatus for embedding data in information material, the data being a plurality of data items each having a different relative importance. The apparatus comprises an encoding processor operable to encode each of said data items, and a combining processor operable to combine said encoded data items with said information material. The information material provides a limited data embedding capacity, as a result for example of the limited bandwidth of the information material itself. Each of the data items are encoded and embedded to the effect that a proportion of the limited data embedding capacity is allocated to the encoded data items in accordance with the relative importance of these data items. As such, for example, an amount of error protection given to each of the data items can be arranged in accordance with the importance of the data items, whilst still satisfying the limited data embedding capacity.

Abstract: A method of embedding data in material comprises the steps of: