Abstract: A system for electronic media distribution comprises means for generating a plurality of media items; a data repository for storing a respective metadata item containing metadata relating to the generation of the corresponding media item; means for electronically distributing at least some of the media items to a plurality of end-users; means for detecting reception by the end-users of the media items; and means for associating, with each metadata item relating to an electronically distributed media item, a reception indicator indicative of the number of users receiving that media item.

Abstract: A digital tape recorder comprises means for recording video material onto video sections of a digital tape; and means for recording digital cataloguing data corresponding to the video material onto cataloguing data sections longitudinally interspersed between video sections on the digital tape.

Abstract: A data storage apparatus has a plurality p of storage spaces for storing sets of data. Each of the spaces has: available (unused) space x1 for storage; a number x2 of data sets already stored; a number x3 of channels available for transferring data to the space; and a number x4 of times the space is scheduled to be used for reading out sets of data therefrom. An allocation factor Qp=f(ai, xi) is calculated for each space where ai are weighting factors ranking xi in order of importance. A data set is allocated to the space having the “best” (e.g. lowest) value of Qp at the time the data is to be allocated. Once allocation factors determined, then data may be allocated according to usage indices representing the ability of a space to store the data at the time of allocation.

Abstract: An audio and/or video generation apparatus is arranged in operation to generate audio and/or video signals representative of an audio and/or video source has a meta data generation tool which is arranged in operation to generate meta data associated with the audio and/or video signals, wherein the type of meta data generated by the meta data generation tool is user selectable. The audio and/or video generation apparatus may comprise a recording means which is arranged in operation to record the audio and/or video signals on a recording medium, and the audio and/or video generation apparatus may be arranged to receive meta data associated with the audio and/or video signals generated by a data processor, the recording means being arranged in operation to record the meta data on the recording medium with the audio and/or video signals. The meta data may be user generated, such as text describing the audio/video signals, or may be secondary meta data which is automatically generated by the audio/video apparatus.

Abstract: A method of scheduling data storage or retrieval jobs in a data storage and/or retrieval system in which stored data is distributed between multiple data storage volumes comprises: (i) maintaining a queue of data storage or retrieval jobs for execution; and (ii) adding a newly initiated job to the queue so that: (a) if the newly initiated job requires access to the same data storage volume as a further job already in the queue, the newly initiated job is added to the queue at an adjacent queue position to that further job; and (b) if the newly initiated job does not require access to the same data storage volume as any other job already in the queue, adding the newly initiated job to the queue at a queue position independent of the data storage volumes of other jobs in the queue.

Abstract: Apparatus for accessing a database having database records comprising data-compressed image data comprises a database server apparatus operable to respond to a database query by returning database records to the client process matching the criteria specified by the database query; and a client process for issuing database queries to the database server and for displaying information indicative of the database records returned by the database server apparatus; in which: the client process has a data decompressor for decompressing data-compressed images received from the database server and a data cache for storing decompressed image data representing those images; the client process is operable to retrieve, decompress, display and store in the data cache data-compressed a subset of the images relating to the database records returned by the database server; and the client process is then operable to retrieve, decompress and store in the data cache data-compressed images relating to the database records returne

Abstract: A data storage apparatus has a plurality p of storage spaces for storing sets of data. Each of the spaces has: available (unused) space x.sub.1 for storage; a number x.sub.2 of data sets already stored; a number x.sub.3 of channels available for transferring data to the space; and a number x.sub.4 of times the space is scheduled to be used for reading out sets of data therefrom. An allocation factor Qp=f(ai, xi) is calculated for each space where ai are weighting factors ranking xi in order of importance. A data set is allocated to the space having the "best" (e.g. lowest) value of Qp at the time the data is to be allocated. Once allocation factors determined, then data may be allocated according to usage indices representing the ability of a space to store the data at the time of allocation.

Abstract: A scene change detector sums the correlation maximum values of correlation surfaces produced by a motion vector determining circuit (2) across a current image and compares this with a threshold value (Thres) to detect scene changes. A statistical analysis of signals (V.sub.x, V.sub.y, Y) representing the current image may be made and a resulting value differentiated. Peaks in this differentiated value represent scene changes. Finally, rapid changes in the number of valid vectors found in a motion analysis of a current image may also be used to indicate a scene change.

Abstract: A data storage apparatus has a plurality of storage spaces p for storing sets of data. Each of the spaces has: available (unused) space x.sub.1 for storage; a number x.sub.2 of data sets already stored; a number x.sub.3 of channels available for transferring data to the space; and a number x.sub.4 of times the space is scheduled to be used for reading out sets of data therefrom. An allocation factor Qp=f(ai, xi) is calculated for each space where ai are weighting factors ranking xi in order of importance. A data set is allocated to the space having the "best " (e.g. lowest) value of Qp at the time the data is to be allocated. Once allocation factors determined, then data may be allocated according to usage indices representing the ability of a space to store the data at the time of allocation.

Abstract: A video processing method and apparatus for processing video frames comprising animated images so as to blur movement of the animated images between successive frames, the method or apparatus comparing a first input frame with the following input frame; identifying moving areas in the first input frame by the comparison; calculating the velocity of the movement of the moving areas between the first and following input frame; summing, only for each input pixel site within the identified moving areas of the input frame, the pixel value of each input pixel site and adjacent pixel values determined according to the calculated velocities and a predetermined aperture type for the input frame; and providing an output frame from at least the summed pixel values and pixel values of areas of the input frame other than the moving area, the adjacent pixel values either being the pixel values of pixel sites in the input frame which are spatially adjacent in the direction of the velocity or predicted temporally adjacent pi