Patents by Inventor Peter J. Wonfor
Peter J. Wonfor 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: 8250597Abstract: A method and system of providing copy protection of video analog and digital signals and the like, wherein the signals are transmitted via a digital delivery network, and may comprise, for example, pay-per-view (PPV) program materials protected by copyrights of respective program rights holders. The right holders authorize video service providers (3) to apply copy protection to the program material. The copy protection process is supplied to the rights holders or the service providers (3) by a copy protection process licensor. The video service providers (3) supply suitable copy protection control software via respective control and billing (tracking) centers to generate commands which activate, control and reconfigure the copy protection process being applied to the programs being transmitted.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2008Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Rovi Solutions CorporationInventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Derek T. Nelson
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Publication number: 20100021133Abstract: Enhancements to a video anticopying process that causes an abnormally low amplitude video signal to be recorded on an illegal copy. In one version, positive going pulses are added to the video signal. 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2009Publication date: January 28, 2010Applicant: MACROVISION CORPORATIONInventors: Peter J. WONFOR, Alistair J. Knox, Jeremy J. Corcoran, John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan
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Patent number: 7620178Abstract: Enhancements to a video anticopying process that causes an abnormally low amplitude video signal to be recorded on an illegal copy. In one version, positive going pulses are added to the video signal. 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.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2007Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Alistair J. Knox, Jeremy J. Corcoran, John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan
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Publication number: 20080178235Abstract: A method and system of providing copy protection of video analog and digital signals and the like, wherein the signals are transmitted via a digital delivery network, and may comprise, for example, pay-per-view (PPV) program materials protected by copyrights of respective program rights holders. The right holders authorize video service providers (3) to apply copy protection to the program material. The copy protection process is supplied to the rights holders or the service providers (3) by a copy protection process licensor. The video service providers (3) supply suitable copy protection control software via respective control and billing (tracking) centers to generate commands which activate, control and reconfigure the copy protection process being applied to the programs being transmitted.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2008Publication date: July 24, 2008Inventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Derek T. Nelson
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Patent number: 7395545Abstract: A method and system of providing copy protection of video analog and digital signals and the like, wherein the signals are transmitted via a digital delivery network, and may comprise, for example, pay-per-view (PPV) program materials protected by copyrights of respective program rights holders. The right holders authorize video service providers (3) to apply copy protection to the program material. The copy protection process is supplied to the rights holders or the service providers (3) by a copy protection process licensor. The video service providers (3) supply suitable copy protection control software via respective control and billing (tracking) centers to generate commands which activate, control and reconfigure the copy protection process being applied to the programs being transmitted.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2002Date of Patent: July 1, 2008Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Derek T. Nelson
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Publication number: 20020172362Abstract: A method and system of providing copy protection of video analog and digital signals and the like, wherein the signals are transmitted via a digital delivery network, and may comprise, for example, pay-per-view (PPV) program materials protected by copyrights of respective program rights holders. The right holders authorize video service providers (3) to apply copy protection to the program material. The copy protection process is supplied to the rights holders or the service providers (3) by a copy protection process licensor. The video service providers (3) supply suitable copy protection control software via respective control and billing (tracking) centers to generate commands which activate, control and reconfigure the copy protection process being applied to the programs being transmitted.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2002Publication date: November 21, 2002Inventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Derek T. Nelson
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Patent number: 6381747Abstract: A method and system of providing copy protection of video analog and digital signals and the like, wherein the signals are transmitted via a digital delivery network, and may comprise, for example, pay per view (PPV) program materials protected by copyrights of respective program rights holders. The right holders authorize video service providers (3) to apply copy protection to the program material. The copy protection process is supplied to the rights holders or the service providers (3) by a copy protection process licensor. The video service providers (3) supply suitable copy protection control software via respective control and billing (tracking) centers to generate commands which activate, control and reconfigure the copy protection process being applied to the programs being transmitted.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1998Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: Macrovision Corp.Inventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Derek T. Nelson
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Publication number: 20020018564Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2001Publication date: February 14, 2002Inventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Alistair J. Knox, Jeremy J. Corcoran, John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan
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Publication number: 20010026617Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2000Publication date: October 4, 2001Inventors: Peter J. Wonfor, Alistair J. Knox, Jeremy J. Corcoran, 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: 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: 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: 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
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Patent number: 5438620Abstract: 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: February 28, 1994Date of Patent: August 1, 1995Assignee: Macrovision CorporationInventors: John O. Ryan, Ronald Quan, James R. Holzgrafe, Peter J. Wonfor
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Patent number: 4398815Abstract: A camera mount of the type including a front plate having an attachment to the lens-mounting frontal side of a camera-and-lens assembly, and a bottom plate extending rearwardly, parallel to the lens axis, from the lower portion of the front plate for supporting the rearward portion of the camera and for mounting the camera on a base structure, characterized in that means are provided on the bottom plate for engaging and supporting the rearward portion of the camera and for countering the moment exerted by the weight of the camera about its attachment; and means are provided for clamping the camera to the bottom plate and to the supporting means thereof.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1982Date of Patent: August 16, 1983Assignee: Ampex CorporationInventors: Verl N. Barzee, Peter J. Wonfor