Abstract: An application on a mobile phone or tablet computer or eyeglasses listens to the speech of a profoundly deaf person and interprets it in real time. The voice recognition can be trained to the voice of the profoundly deaf person. A display such as a small tablet display which can be hung around the speaker's neck can present text output by the voice recognition module to allow someone to read the text. The application can then detect speech from the listener and display text converted from the speech to the deaf person through glasses or to a cell phone that is being held by hand or to the tablet, or to a different tablet that the previous listener has hung around his or her neck. In case of the same tablet the text from the listener's speech can be shown upside down so that the deaf person can look down and read the text.

Abstract: An application on a mobile phone or tablet computer or eyeglasses listens to the speech of a profoundly deaf person and interprets it in real time. It can then repeat it in a “normal voice”. The voice recognition is trained to the voice of the profoundly deaf person.

Abstract: A micro mirror assembly widens the field of view (FOV) of a 3D depth map sensor, alleviating the limitation of limited laser illumination power and limitations on the resolution of the available imaging device.

Abstract: Placement of Closed Captioning (CC) in content by a content provider is overridden by means of a user interface (UI) that allows the user to place CC on screen on top of the video. The CC may be derived directly from the audio and synchronized with play of the audio and video.

Abstract: Parallax views of objects are used to generate 3D depth maps of the objects using time of flight (TOF) information. In this way, the deleterious effects of multipath interference can be reduced to improve 3D depth map accuracy without using computationally intensive algorithms.

Abstract: Multiple camera systems which use laser illumination for ranging benefit from a heartbeat to synchronize the timing of the individual lasers to eliminate collisions of multiple simultaneous laser emissions. An optical micromesh system provides for the dynamic entry and egress of mobile and stationary nodes. The optical communication between nodes may be controlled using time domain multiplexing (TDM) to avoid cross talk and communication collision due to overlapping laser illumination. By using an optical, laser based micromesh network, laser ranging can be used to dynamically map node location.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for receiving content. The method includes receiving a first service, by a receiver of a reception apparatus, the first service providing first content and first metadata associated with the first content. The first content is encoded in one of a plurality of formats decodable by the reception apparatus. Further, the method includes generating, by circuitry of the reception apparatus, first codec mode in formation based on the first metadata received with the first content. The first codec mode information indicates the one of the plurality of formats or a codec for decoding the one of the plurality of formats. The generated first codec mode information in association with the first service is stored, by the circuitry, in a table. The table includes codec mode information for a plurality of different services, which includes the first service.

Abstract: A method is provided for a reception apparatus to access content. The method includes outputting a distribution schedule for a plurality of content and receiving a selection of one of the plurality of content for which distribution started before or starts after a current time. At least one processor of the reception apparatus determines whether on-demand access is requested for the selected content. When on-demand access is determined to be requested for the selected content, a request for the selected content is sent over a first communication medium and the selected content is received via a second communication medium.

Abstract: Placement of Closed Captioning (CC) in content by a content provider is overridden by means of a user interface (UI) that allows the user to place CC on screen on top of the video. The CC may be derived directly from the audio and synchronized with play of the audio and video.

Abstract: An information providing system, reception apparatus, and methods thereof are provided for providing content data. The method for providing content includes generating the content data. A digital television pre-broadcast signal, including the content data, is generated. At least one portion of the digital television pre-broadcast signal is extracted. The at least one portion of the digital television pre-broadcast signal is packaged into one or more Internet Protocol (IP) data packets. A digital television broadcast signal, including the remainder of the digital television pre-broadcast signal, is generated. The one or more IP data packets is provided via a communication network. The digital television broadcast signal is provided on a predetermined radio frequency (RF) channel.

Abstract: A method for controlling a light source of a display is provided. Maximum frame rates for different portions of video content to be displayed on the display are determined. The light source of the display is controlled to blink according to a blinking frequency when a first portion of the video content having a first maximum frame rate is displayed. The light source of the display is controlled to not blink when a second portion of the video content having a second maximum frame rate is displayed. The first maximum frame rate exceeds a predetermined frame rate of the display. Further, the second maximum frame rate does not exceed the predetermined frame rate of the display.

Abstract: Multiple independently movable devices are located upon a platform. On the platform is a directional microphone array. Each of the movable devices is assigned a unique audio signature, which may be a pulse train of chirps or a pseudo random signal or some other audio sequence that is unique to the respective device. Each movable device announces itself with its unique audio signature, and the platform's directional microphone system determines the location from which the unique audio signature comes from. For range, a difference between the time of flight (TOF) of the light relative to the sound signature is used. As another technique a unique audio signature may be an audio water mark concealed in normal audio which may be emitted by the movable device. The watermark provides the identifying information of each movable device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for controlling a display and transmitting video content. The method includes determining, by processing circuitry, a blinking frequency to be used during presentation of video content for a light source of a display. The processing circuitry sets the blinking frequency for the light source of the display based on the determined blinking frequency. Further, the processing circuitry controls the light source of the display to blink according to the set blinking frequency while the video content is presented on the display. The light source is configured to illuminate a separate display panel or to emit light that form images of the video content.

Abstract: An audio video display device executes a voice assistant that recognizes a spoken name associated with a hearing-impaired person and in response reduces the audio volume for the content being decoded, on the assumption that someone is speaking to the hearing-impaired person, and/or pauses the content being decoded, and/or determines the location of the source of the command and steers a microphone array to that location, and/or allows for independent volume/mute controls via an assistive listening device such as a neck loop to control the volume or mute the audio played on hearing aids independently of the volume of the display device.

Abstract: An audio video display device executes a voice assistant that recognizes a spoken name associated with a hearing-impaired person and in response reduces the audio volume for the content being decoded, on the assumption that someone is speaking to the hearing-impaired person, and/or pauses the content being decoded, and/or determines the location of the source of the command and steers a microphone array to that location, and/or allows for independent volume/mute controls via an assistive listening device such as a neck loop to control the volume or mute the audio played on hearing aids independently of the volume of the display device.

Abstract: Audio is shifted from being played on a central speaker element to either the right or left side speaker to accommodate a viewer suffering from macular degeneration moving his head to better see the visual display with his peripheral vision. If the user moves his head to the left to use the peripheral vision on the right, the audio is moved to the left speaker. Likewise, if the viewer is moving his head to the right, to take advantage of the peripheral vision on the left, then the audio switches to the right speaker.

Abstract: Parallax views of objects are used to generate 3D depth maps of the objects using time of flight (TOF) information. In this way, the deleterious effects of multipath interference can be reduced to improve 3D depth map accuracy without using computationally intensive algorithms.

Abstract: A camera on an eyeglasses-type mount can he remotely controlled by a monitoring device to pan and tilt so that a remote monitor may gain a picture of the surroundings of a vision-impaired person wearing the head mount without pestering the person to move his head.

Abstract: To improve cognitive comprehension of plots in videos and thus assist not only people with cognitive issues but also inattentive people that have trouble following along with the plot, information is sent about each scene in a video. Image recognition or speech recognition may be implemented on a video to recognize where in the video the viewer currently is at, and ancillary information pertaining to that spot in the video presented immediately or at a convenient scene break.

Abstract: A remotely controlled device receives a first command from a remote control (RC) but does not execute the command. Instead, the remotely controlled device waits to receive the first command within a threshold period, and if not received twice within the period, the first command is then executed. However, the first command is not executed if it is received twice, at which point the name of the corresponding RC key is announced. A second double command caused by a second double press of the same key on the RC causes the remotely controlled device to announce the function of the key. The logic may be executed in the RC as well as or in lieu of executing it in the remotely controlled device.