Abstract: According to the invention, channel surfers are aided by summary frames appearing on the screen along with the regular program. These summary frames are embedded in the broadcast and appear in a small window on the screen at some point in the future as the video is broadcast. The summary frames depict key scenes from the past which aid the viewer in quickly ascertaining the current plot or theme of the video program. In an interactive television environment, a short video segment may be associated with each shot such that when the shot is selected, the past video segment is played in a larger window on the screen complete with sound. Once the segment is viewed, the video program is rejoined in progress with the viewer having a better sense of what is going on in the video. Hence, a when a channel surfer arrives at a new channel, rather than only having what is currently playing to catch the eye, summary frames are also available to catch the surfer's attention and aid in understanding the programming.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided through which marks are generated for combination with a host image, in which source or user information is encoded into the mark either as a visually perceptibly unobtrusive pattern, or encoded by an arrangement of visually perceptible marks. Systems and methods are also provided for decoding or estimating the user information from images that contain the marks and determining the user or source that the mark indicates within a measure of certainty.

Abstract: A watermarking scheme is provided that allows the watermarked image to be authenticated by an authentication agent without revealing the human-readable content of the image. There is disclosed an approach that combines privacy control with watermarking and authentication mechanisms. The watermark can be made to be imperceptible to humans. Public key cryptography allows the authentication agent to authenticate without being able to watermark an image. Watermark information may also be encoded in a vector graphics image that includes at least one stroke defined by coordinate values of an ordered sequence of points. This may be obtained by providing watermark information as a bit sequence, identifying one or more redundant properties of the image, modifying the redundant properties based upon the bit sequence to generate a representation of the image and storing the representation of the image for subsequent use.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention includes a method to bit scramble a digital video signal. The method includes receiving blocks of the digital video signal and scrambling the blocks of the digital video signal responsive to a remote computer number. The remote computer number may be a processor number of a remote computer that may descramble the bit scrambled video signal. In other embodiments, the invention includes a method to descramble a bit scrambled video signal in a computer. The method includes receiving blocks of the bit scrambled video signal and descrambling the blocks of the bit scrambled video signal responsive to a remote computer number of the computer in which the descrambling is occurring. Additional embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method of generating a visual program summary is disclosed for a multiple source video feed. In the disclosed method, a computing device continuously captures frames from a set of available video feeds such as television channels. The computing device analyzes the captured video frames to remove redundant frames. The computing device then selects a set of frames to generate a visual program summary. The selected frames are composited together to generate a visual program summary.

Abstract: One inventive aspect pertains to a watermarking mechanism that allows a watermark to be determined from only a part of the video sequence without human intervention and without reference to the original watermarked frames. This watermark has improved invisibility, detection reliability and robustness. Invisibility is improved through the inclusion of frame difference parameters to calculate the amplitude of the watermark. Detection reliability and robustness can be improved by assuring that opposite signed values for the pseudo-random number sequence are spatially near each other and using data blocks forming the data sets, respectively. Another inventive aspect pertains to a watermarking mechanism that is exclusively dependent on the data contained in the data sets and is completely interoperable between spatial and compressed domains.

Abstract: A content distribution system comprising a server platform and a client platform. The server platform includes a memory unit to store digital content and access control logic to activate content protection mechanisms that provide multiple levels of access protection to the digital content. In communication with the server platform, the client platform plays back segments of the digital content at one of a plurality of quality levels.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for automatically selecting a video output from among several video input sources. In one method, one or more audio sensors are associated with each video input source. Preferably, an audio sensor is positioned to receive audio signals from directions that receive favorable coverage in the field of view of the associated video source. An autoselector calculates audio scores for each of the audio sensors over short (e.g., 0.5 seconds) examination intervals. At each examination interval, the potential exists for a different video source to be selected as the video output. The autoselector selects a video source based on the audio scores for an examination interval, as well as the recent time-history of video source selection. For instance, if a new video source has just been selected, selection of a different source may be disabled for a few seconds. The time-history is also used to increase the probability that source selection varies in a seemingly-natural manner.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention includes a method of providing content including selecting a set of segments of content from a group of segments to be protected. The segments of the set are protected with protection that can be undone. The group of segments are transmitted. In other embodiments, the invention includes a method of receiving and processing content including receiving a group of segments of content. The set of segments in the group that are protected are identified. The protection is undone. The group of segments is played seamlessly with a media player. Additional embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for automatically selecting a video output from among several video input sources. In one method, one or more audio sensors are associated with each video input source. Preferably, an audio sensor is positioned to receive audio signals from directions that receive favorable coverage in the field of view of the associated video source. An autoselector calculates audio scores for each of the audio sensors over short (e.g., 0.5 seconds) examination intervals. At each examination interval, the potential exists for a different video source to be selected as the video output. The autoselector selects a video source based on the audio scores for an examination interval, as well as the recent time-history of video source selection. For instance, if a new video source has just been selected, selection of a different source may be disabled for a few seconds. The time-history is also used to increase the probability that source selection varies in a seemingly-natural manner.

Abstract: A method of generating a visual program summary is disclosed for a multiple source video feed. In the disclosed method, a computing device continuously captures frames from a set of available video feeds such as television channels. The computing device analyzes the captured video frames to remove redundant frames. The computing device then selects a set of frames to generate a visual program summary. The selected frames are composited together to generate a visual program summary.

Abstract: A watermarking scheme which allows the watermarked image to be authenticated by an authentication agent without revealing the human-readable content of the image. There is disclosed an approach which combines privacy control with watermarking and authentication mechanisms. The watermark can be made to be imperceptible to humans. Public key cryptography allows the authentication agent to authenticate without being able to watermark an image.

Abstract: According to the invention, channel surfers are aided by summary frames appearing on the screen along with the regular program. These summary frames are embedded in the broadcast and appear in a small window on the screen at some point in the future as the video is broadcast. The summary frames depict key scenes from the past which aid the viewer in quickly ascertaining the current plot or theme of the video program. In an interactive television environment, a short video segment may be associated with each shot such that when the shot is selected, the past video segment is played in a larger window on the screen complete with sound. Once the segment is viewed, the video program is rejoined in progress with the viewer having a better sense of what is going on in the video. Hence, a when a channel surfer arrives at a new channel, rather than only having what is currently playing to catch the eye, summary frames are also available to catch the surfer's attention and aid in understanding the programming.

Abstract: A system quickly verifies that the content of an image has not been changed since an earlier time when the content of that image was stamped. The system consists of a stamping process that embeds stamping information into a source image and produces a verification key, and a verification process that extracts stamping information from a stamped source image based on the verification key. Furthermore, the verification process produces an image itself, from which the verification can be readily judged visually or by use of a computer or other display device. In the verification process, the changes in an image can be detected and localized. The image stamping process further includes an error diffussion process so that the effects of combining the stamping information with the original image are not readily perceptable. An image is safeguarded against malicious manipulations and the proprietary rights are protected by maintaining the integrity of the image content.