Patents by Inventor Steven Anthony Barron

Steven Anthony Barron 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: 8091106
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for using DVD subpicture formatted information within a MPEG data stream to provide data channel information to a television receiver. More particularly, the television receiver comprises a MPEG decoder and a DVD subpicture processor. The MPEG decoder decodes the MPEG stream and extracts the DVD subpicture formatted signal and the DVD subpicture decoder processes one or more DVD subpicture bitstreams to produce DVD graphics. The DVD subpicture bitstream is used to carry and display data channel information such as stock quotes, electronic program guide information, advertisement information, and the like as well as provide interactive menuing functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: James Alan Strothmann, Steven Anthony Barron, David Emery Virag
  • Patent number: 7536079
    Abstract: The invention refers to a method for a time shift display of a video signal wherein upon a pause command a received video signal is recorded on a recording medium, and upon a resume command the recorded video signal is provided to a display device while the received video signal is continued to be recorded. It is desired to improve such method. According to the invention successive pause start indicators are stored upon further pause commands, and upon further successive resume commands recorded video signal starting from the latest or a successively previous pause start indicator is provided to a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventor: Steven Anthony Barron
  • Patent number: 7480447
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method and digital recording device for faster than normal playback of a 24 fps presentation without any loss of program information. A 24 fps playback signal is produced from a storage medium. Subsequently, a pull-down process can be performed to reformat the 24 fps playback signal for a video display, for example at 30 fps. Finally, redundant field pictures produced by the pull-down process can be selectively dropped to increase a playback speed of the presentation. The method can further include the step of selectively controlling a number of the redundant field pictures that are dropped responsive to a user input. This step can be performed automatically by calculating the rate at which the redundant field pictures must be dropped responsive to a user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Mark Alan Schultz, Steven Anthony Barron
  • Patent number: 7271847
    Abstract: A video apparatus, for instance a video player, comprises a first digital source (e.g. a media player) of a first video digital stream and a video encoder (for generating analogue video signals based on said first video digital stream. The video apparatus also has an input for receiving first analogue video signals comprising synchronization signals. A second digital source generates a second video digital stream based on which the video encoder can generate second analogue video signals synchronized by the synchronization signals of the first analogue video signals for superimposition on the first analogue video signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Frank Dumont, Chee Lam Tan, Steven Anthony Barron
  • Patent number: 7092614
    Abstract: A method for controlling recording in a digital recording apparatus enables users to create improved video recordings and also conserves memory space of the recording apparatus. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of detecting a first user input during recording representing a command to stop recording, enabling display of a first predetermined message responsive to the first user input, receiving a second user input representing a response to the first predetermined message, and controlling the digital video recording apparatus to generate a single program recording and a single program listing for the single program recording in response to the second user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Valerie Sacrez Liebhold, Steven Anthony Barron, Richard Earl Jones
  • Publication number: 20040252972
    Abstract: The invention refers to a video recording device, having a timer comprising time input means for receiving a start time. The timer further comprises means for computing an end time based on the start time, start time entering conditions and a predetermined duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Lifen Yuan, Steven Anthony Barron
  • Publication number: 20030007097
    Abstract: A video apparatus, for instance a video player, comprises a first digital source (e.g. a media player) of a first video digital stream and a video encoder (for generating analogue video signals based on said first video digital stream. The video apparatus also has an input for receiving first analogue video signals comprising synchronization signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventors: Frank Dumont, Chee Lam Tan, Steven Anthony Barron
  • Patent number: 6453114
    Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a digitally encoded signal from a disk medium, comprises a transducerwhich transduces the digitally encoded signal. A memory is coupled to the transducer for storing the digitally encoded signal. A decoder is responsive to the digitally encoded signal for decoding a picture therefrom. A controller for the memory, wherein a first operational mode the controller controls the memory to read the stored digitally encoded signal from the memory responsive to a first sequence and in a second operational mode the controller controls the memory to read the stored digitally encoded signal from the memory in a second sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA
    Inventors: Mark Alan Schultz, Donald Henry Willis, Jianlei Xie, John Alan Hague, Steven Anthony Barron, Barth Alan Canfield
  • Patent number: 6377748
    Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a digitally encoded signal from a medium, comprises a transducer for transducing the digitally encoded signal and generating a bit stream therefrom. A processor is coupled to receive the bit stream for controllably processing the bit stream. A memory is coupled to the processor for storing the processed bit stream information. A controller is coupled to control the memory and the processor for controlling identification of information within the bit stream, wherein the controller controls the processor to identify a specific sector type in the bit stream and responsive to the specific sector identification the controller controls the memory for storing the identified specific sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing S.A.
    Inventors: Mark Alan Schultz, Donald Henry Willis, Jianlei Xie, John Alan Hague, Steven Anthony Barron, Barth Alan Canfield
  • Patent number: 6229951
    Abstract: Video processing image manipulation and trick play modes provide seamless normal play and trick play functioning. Specifically, a system processes video data including encoded digital packetized data representative of a sequence of individual images and ancillary data identifying characteristics of the individual images. The system involves a pre-processor for parsing the ancillary data to determine characteristics of the individual images prior to storing the encoded digital packetized data. The system also includes a multiplexer for filtering the encoded digital packetized data based on the determined characteristics to identify particular images of the image sequence for storage in a memory and for excluding other images of the sequence from storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventors: Mark Alan Schultz, Donald Henry Willis, Jianlei Xie, John Alan Hague, Steven Anthony Barron, Barth Alan Canfield
  • Patent number: 6222979
    Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a digitally encoded signal from a disk medium, comprises a source of a bitstream representative of the digitally encoded signal. A processor is coupled to the bitstream for processing the bitstream to extract at least a first and a second data type represented therein. A memory is controllably coupled to the processor for storing one of the first and a second data types. A controller is coupled to control allocation of the memory, wherein a first reproducing mode the controller allocates the memory for storing the first data type, and in a second reproducing mode the controller allocates the memory for storing the second data type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventors: Donald Henry Willis, Mark Alan Schultz, Jianlei Xie, John Alan Hague, Steven Anthony Barron