Patents by Inventor Maurice Snell

Maurice Snell 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).

  • Patent number: 10027303
    Abstract: To control loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between program and commercial or promotional content, representative loudness values for content respectively before (P) and after (C) the junction are received from a playout automation system. A time-varying gain control is applied before and after the junction in order to smooth loudness around the junction. The audio gain is smoothly increased prior to the junction to a gain (P+C)/2P times higher than the original gain value. Then, the gain is reduced shortly before the junction to a value (P+C)/2C times lower than the original gain value. After the junction, the gain is returned smoothly to the original value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Snell Advanced Media Limited
    Inventors: Michael James Knee, Daniel Colgan, Maurice Snell
  • Publication number: 20160254794
    Abstract: To control loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between programme and commercial or promotional content, representative loudness values for content respectively before (P) and after (C) the junction are received from a playout automation system. A time-varying gain control is applied before and after the junction in order to smooth loudness around the junction. The audio gain is smoothly increased prior to the junction to a gain (P+C)/2P times higher than the original gain value. Then, the gain is reduced shortly before the junction to a value (P+C)/2C times lower than the original gain value. After the junction, the gain is returned smoothly to the original value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Maurice Snell, Daniel Colgan
  • Patent number: 9344052
    Abstract: To control loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between programme and commercial or promotional content, representative loudness values for content respectively before (P) and after (C) the junction are received from a playout automation system. A time-varying gain control is applied before and after the junction in order to smooth loudness around the junction. The audio gain is smoothly increased prior to the junction to a gain (P+C)/2P times higher than the original gain value. Then, the gain is reduced shortly before the junction to a value (P+C)/2C times lower than the original gain value. After the junction, the gain is returned smoothly to the original value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Snell Limited
    Inventors: Maurice Snell, Daniel Colgan
  • Patent number: 8908093
    Abstract: The intended display aspect-ratio for video is determined automatically by analyzing an image to identify image blocks resulting from prior block-based processing of the video; comparing horizontal and vertical dimensions of those image blocks with horizontal and vertical dimensions of the image, with black border regions excluded as necessary; and determining from that comparison a display aspect ratio for the video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Snell Limited
    Inventors: Michael James Knee, Maurice Snell
  • Publication number: 20140133659
    Abstract: To control loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between programme and commercial or promotional content, representative loudness values for content respectively before (P) and after (C) the junction are received from a playout automation system. A time-varying gain control is applied before and after the junction in order to smooth loudness around the junction. The audio gain is smoothly increased prior to the junction to a gain (P+C)/2 P times higher than the original gain value. Then, the gain is reduced shortly before the junction to a value (P+C)/2 C times lower than the original gain value. After the junction, the gain is returned smoothly to the original value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventors: Maurice Snell, DANIEL COLGAN