Data Format Patents (Class 348/467)
  • Patent number: 6339449
    Abstract: An additional information signal is superimposed on a video signal at a very low level so that it does not stand out on the reproduced image. Spectral spreading code sequences are generated corresponding to different predetermined parts of the video signal. Bit information signals of the additional information signal made up of plural bits are spectrally spread by the spreading codes to generate spectrally spread bit information signals corresponding to the plural bits. The spectrally spread bit information signals are superimposed on corresponding different predetermined parts of the video signal. Because high priority bit information signals of the spectrally spread additional information signal are superimposed on high priority parts of the video signal, high priority information in the additional information can be protected even if the video signal is modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Ikeda, Akira Ogino, Hisayoshi Moriwaki, Takashi Kohashi, Yuji Kimura
  • Patent number: 6326960
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing video output phase control in a decoder. In particular, the present invention provides a decoder that precisely aligns output of video display data with a time stamp associated with the video display data and thereby allows for efficient usage of compressed video buffer memory in the decoder. In one embodiment, the decoder includes a video output processor for displaying video data and a timer connected to the video output processor for providing video output phase control. A method is also provided for providing video output phase control in the decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher K. Wolf
  • Publication number: 20010030710
    Abstract: A subtitled electronic cinematic feature includes a series of image data packets (21-29) residing in a signal structure that may be electronically transferred over a communication link (33). The subtitled electronic cinematic feature also includes subtitle data (50) inserted into the series and associated with at least one of the image data packets (21-29). More specifically, the subtitle data (50) include text data (206) and style data to be used to display the text data (206) with data from the at least one of the associated image data packets (21-29). In a further embodiment, the subtitle data (50) include at least one caption packet (100-110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventor: William B. Werner
  • Patent number: 6292226
    Abstract: A broadcast reception apparatus is provided with a reception unit for receiving broadcast data as a transport stream. The transport stream includes video data and a plurality of navigation information sequences. Each navigation information sequence includes navigation information which includes graphics data to be combined with the video data for display. A TS (Transport Stream) decoder unit extracts the video data and navigation information from the transport stream. A reception control unit controls the TS decoder unit so that the TS decoder unit extracts navigation information from a navigation information sequence which is suitable for the the broadcast reception apparatus. A navigation information storage unit stores the navigation information extracted by the TS decoder unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Yamanaka, Toshiya Mori, Yoshihiro Mimura, Hidekazu Shimizu, Shigeaki Watanabe, Tatsuya Shimoji, Kazuo Okamura, Junichi Hirai, Masahiro Oashi, Takashi Kakiuchi, Yuki Kusumi, Yoshiyuki Miyabe, Naoya Takao, Kazutoshi Sumiya, Ikuo Minakata, Masayuki Kozuka
  • Patent number: 6262775
    Abstract: A caption data processing circuit in a decoder is provided for decoding a transport stream (TS). The caption data processing circuit extracts presentation information and caption data from an input transport stream and generates a control signal when the caption data of a one-picture unit has been extracted. A caption decoding portion of the circuit decodes the extracted caption data in response to the control signal. A buffer in the circuit stores the decoded caption data so that the presentation timing of the decoded caption data may be controlled based on the presentation information. As a result, the presentation timing of the picture data and caption data are exactly synchronized, thereby displaying the picture along with its correct caption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seong-bong Kim
  • Patent number: 6239844
    Abstract: A television receiver for receiving data signals, particularly teletext, associated with a television signal, has a page memory (13) for storing a plurality of pages for display on a display screen. In order to use the memory with maximum effectiveness, a queue is formed in order of priority of requests for allocation of memory locations for storing pages. Various features, such as FASTEXT, TOP, EPG, WST level 2.5, each require a certain minimum number of pages to allow the feature to be achieved. Each feature has a dedicated page request generator (PG-1 to PG-n) which each provide an ordered list of page requests. These page requests are fed to priority setter (P) which allocates for each of the page request generators, a given priority based on a priority scheme (PS) and a list of connected page request generators (PGL). The page request generators (PG-1 to PG-n) react to system events source (S1), broadcast event sources (S2), and/or user event sources (S3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Farzad Raiyat
  • Patent number: 6219537
    Abstract: The present application relates to the use of the vertical blanking interval (“VBI”) to broadband communications including digital data transmission on the VBI or for a dual VBI/PCS System Capable of enhancing rapid deployment of wireless VBI communications or PCS services to a remote transceiver where no or marginally profitable infrastructure exists. Specifically, the present invention provides a wireless digital communication system having a broadcast interface for encoding message information on the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of a video signal, the message information is encoded to a VBI format so as to form a pre-formatted signal. A broadcast device for transmitting an out-going signal having the pre-formatted signal modulated or otherwise embedded in the VBI of the video signal. The pre-formatted signal is received from the broadcast interface and is transmitted on a carrier of the out-going signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: VBI-2000, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Randy James, Dallas L. Nash, II, Jimmy L. Rogers
  • Patent number: 6198509
    Abstract: A method and apparatus identifies a tuned frequency or other information about a broadcaster or an interactive information system application using a description of the broadcaster or application, allowing an interactive information system to be easily controlled without requiring an information provider to identify a tuned frequency or other information. An information provider broadcasts broadcaster information to a reception component, and the reception component may identify the desired tuned frequency or other information using this broadcaster information. This allows interactive information system applications to locate a desired frequency or other information without requiring knowledge of information specific to each geographic or other boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Wink Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian P. Dougherty, Eric E. Del Sesto
  • Patent number: 6160543
    Abstract: A transmission device for computer video signals. Computer video signals can be inputted into the transmission device for processing and to be transmitted by only three pairs of transmission line (Category 5 UTP) to a remote terminal, while still maintain the function of horizontal and vertical synchronism. The transmission device has a converter for converting the polarity of horizontal synchronous signal (Hsync) and vertical synchronous signal (Vsync) into a state pulse (STATE). The state pulse (STATE), a negative pulse for vertical synchronous signal (V), a negative pulse for horizontal synchronous signal (H) are then carried respectively on the red video signal (R), the green video signal (G), and the blue video signal (B) for transmitting to a receiver in the remote terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Aten International Patent & Trademark Office
    Inventor: Sun-Chung Chen
  • Patent number: 6157673
    Abstract: A decoding system and method for a plurality of transport streams, such as MPEG-2 encoded data streams, in which, in addition to a transport decoder, a predecoder is provided for extracting program specific information (PSI) from the plurality of transport streams. Consequently, in the event of a channel change requiring a different transport stream to be decoded, the PSI is made immediately available to the transport decoder eliminating the delay of waiting for applicable packets in the transport stream to extract the PSI prior to decoding and presenting a program to a user. A fully populated crossbar switch controlled by a micro-controller is used to feed a selected transport stream to the transport decoder and to cause the plurality of transport streams to be successively fed to the predecoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corp.
    Inventor: David W. Cuccia
  • Patent number: 6072532
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for manipulating and de-manipulating Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) data having any one of a plurality of formats, comprising an encoder, a transmission medium and a decoder. The encoder receives the VBI data having an original data format and manipulates the format of the VBI data into a general VBI format. This signal is transferred to the decoder where the decoder de-manipulate the general VBI format of the VBI data into the original VBI format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventors: Baldwin Chieh, Kenn Heinrich, Paul Nicholas
  • Patent number: 6061095
    Abstract: An arrangement and method is disclosed for transmitting data items to a receiver for selective display on said receiver. The data items may collectively constitute an electronic television program guide or a database of products and services for electronic shopping purposes. By transmitting auxiliary presentation and navigation information, the information provider may determine how a receiver displays the data items and how the receiver needs to respond to user actions. Sometimes, however, it is desirable for a receiver to respond in a setmaker-defined manner, even if navigation and presentation data are provided by the setmaker. In order to solve possible conflicts between the information provider's interests and the setmaker industries' interests, the transmission includes a copyright bit which allows an information provider to indicate explicitly whether or not a receiver is allowed to ignore the transmitted presentation and/or navigation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Henricus A. W. Van Gestel
  • Patent number: 6057886
    Abstract: A system for transmitting a plurality of data items from a transmitter to one or more receivers. Each data item (Di) is identified by a unique number (i) within a given range. According to the invention, a field (F) comprising both ends (k.sub.1,k.sub.2) of the given range is also transmitted. This allows a receiver to check whether all data items have been received and to check which data item(s) is (are) missing, if any. The invention may generally be used in systems delivering data items to multimedia stations. The invention is particularly suitable for transmitting electronic program guide information in a television broadcast system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Henricus A. W. Van Gestel
  • Patent number: 6052151
    Abstract: A main CPU 11 of a Main CPU Module 10 simultaneously sends out control information to respective Sub CPUs 22, 32, . . . , n2, . . . of plural Sub CPU Modules 20, 30, . . . , n0, . . . by broadcast buses 201, 202 of a system bus 200. In the case where control information from the Main CPU sent out through the broadcast buses 201, 202 is control information with respect to corresponding one of Sub CPU Devices 23, 33, . . . , n3, . . . , each Sub CPU carries out operation control of the Sub CPU device on the basis of the corresponding control information. Thus, the Main CPU is not required to finely control processing inherent in the Sub CPU Devices or timings thereof, etc. Also in the case where new Sub CPU Device is supplemented, or Sub CPU Device of different timing is assembled or incorporated into the apparatus, modification of the control program of the Main CPU can be held down to the minimum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6014368
    Abstract: A multiplexing system which detects multiplexing errors, includes PES packetizing modules that packetize elementary streams (ES) to produce packetized elementary streams (PES), and a TS/PS packetizing module that multiplexes packetized elementary streams (PES) to produce transport streams (TS) or program streams (PS). Comparators are provided each to compare a non-packetized elementary stream (ES) or a packetized elementary stream (PES) stored in a FIFO memory with the packetized elementary stream (ES) or packetized elementary stream (PES) from the packetizing modules. Based on the comparison result, a control module detects errors in the packetizing modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Sanami
  • Patent number: 6008856
    Abstract: A method of communicating a video image via an audio communication signal includes the steps of identifying, for a given pixel location of the video image, a set of samples within a stored audio signal having a corresponding bit pattern, generating a marker identifying the location of the given pixel in the video image, and multiplexing the stored audio signal and the marker such that the marker appears within the stored audio signal proximate to the set of samples having the corresponding bit pattern. This method can also include the steps of transmitting the multiplexed signal to a destination device, demultiplexing, at the destination device, to recover the marker and the corresponding bit pattern, illuminating a display at the given pixel location according to the corresponding bit pattern, and converting the corresponding bit pattern into an analog audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
    Inventor: Saf Asghar
  • Patent number: 6002687
    Abstract: A remultiplexer is disclosed for communicating plural programs. Each program comprises one or more elementary streams that are encoded in relation to a single common time base corresponding to the respective program. The communicated programs originate from plural input transport streams that each comprises plural transport packets. Each transport packet contains a packet identifier indicating the data contained therein. Within each transport stream, unique packet identifiers are assigned to each elementary stream of each program. The data of each elementary stream is only contained in transport packets having a corresponding packet identifier. Each input transport stream contains time stamps for reconstructing the single program time base corresponding to each program conveyed therein. The remultiplexer has a data link module which receives the plural input transport streams. The data link module also selectively extracts transport packets from the received input transport streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Divicon, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Magee, Brian Johnson, Tom Lookabaugh, Nolan Daines
  • Patent number: 5977962
    Abstract: A home-based television system has a set top box that receives from a cable operator television programs for broadcast on many channels. The set top box also receives additional information for display and an application. In response to user input, the application filters data in a first data stream, uses the filtered data to identify data in a second data stream, and causes the thus-identified data to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: CableSoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph W. Chapman, Palma J. Cicchetti, Peter H. Fischman, Elias Israel, Hubert C. Mandeville, IV, Andrew Tannenbaum
  • Patent number: 5963265
    Abstract: A closed-caption broadcasting and receiving method and apparatus. According to the closed-caption broadcasting method and apparatus, first and second language character information and control information are inputted, and control codes of 2 words and character codes of 2 words including a syllable character completion type code are produced. The control codes are obtained by combining the control information with a mode control bit and a parity bit, and the character codes are obtained by combining the first and second language character information with a mode control bit and a parity bit, respectively. First and second digital-modulated caption signals are produced by inputting the control codes and the character codes, respectively. The first or second caption signal is selected if the present field is discriminated as an odd or even field, respectively, and the selected caption signal is encoded in a scanning line which does not affect a television video signal to be transmitted in the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jum-Han Bae, Jong-Hwa Won
  • Patent number: 5960081
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for watermarking digital video material by embedding a digital signature. One embodiment of the system integrates the embedding procedure into a block-based compression scheme. In one embodiment, a 32-bit digital signature is embedded into the x- and y-coordinates of motion vectors. Since not all motion vectors are suitable for coding (with regard to objectionable visible artifacts), three hybrid selection criteria have been developed for determining whether or not to code a motion vector. A probabilistic coding procedure has also been developed to avoid problems that arise when fewer than 16 blocks and/or vectors (where 16 vectors correspond to 32 bits) can be coded in a frame. One such procedure makes use of binary random sequences to virtually code the signature into the motion vectors. The system has been implemented on a CRAY T3D massively parallel supercomputer, where a near-real-time (5 frames per second) embedding of the signature is obtainable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Cray Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Thorbjorn Vynne, Frederic Jordan
  • Patent number: 5946045
    Abstract: Program Guide information is formed suitable for incorporation in a video program datastream and for storage on a storage medium or for broadcast in variable broadcast encoding formats. A method of formatting video data to be suitable for output on one of a plurality of output channels and in one of a plurality of encoding formats is employed. The method involves forming program guide information including a channel map associating an output channel with a video program. The program guide information also associates the channel map with an encoding format. The program guide information and the video data are incorporated into a datastream and the datastream is provided to an output channel. The method may also involve generating a parameter indicative of an encoding format and combining the encoding format parameter and the channel map in the program guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehmet Kemal Ozkan, Kumar Ramaswamy, John Sidney Stewart
  • Patent number: 5940133
    Abstract: A method of error-free, simple programming of a data decoder for the purpose of recording desired data programs is achieved when a data guide table, generated at the transmitter end, for programming the recording, and a data status table for signaling the data programs currently running are evaluated. In addition to date, time, broadcasting company, identifying number and length of the files, the data guide table contains information on the hardware and software configurations, which is required for receiving, for decoding and for outputting the desired data program, and further information for automatically reloading software possibly missing at the receiver end. In this way, it is possible as early as during programming of a data program to carry out a check of the system configuration required at the receiver end and to output an error message or warning to the user if his own system is not suitable for receiving, decoding or outputting the desired data program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerhard Eitz, Werner Bruckner, Sandor Gyarmati
  • Patent number: 5905537
    Abstract: By encoding references to teletext pages as an offset to a referenced teletext page, significant gains in transmission efficiency can be realized. The current teletext standard provides a mechanism for linking teletext pages, but the maximum number of different links supported by the teletext standard is insufficient to cover the need for more links for novel media services such as the transmission of Electronic Program Guides (EPG). An efficient extension of the number of links which can be supported is provided by coding further links as an offset with respect to the existing links in a conventional teletext link packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Henricus A. W. Van Gestel
  • Patent number: 5883675
    Abstract: A graphics display system processes a video signal that includes closed caption text. A digitizer and decoder circuit retrieves the closed caption data and formats the data to avoid loss by decimation, to be scalable, and to include an indicator of capture or display. The digitizer and decoder circuit includes ping pong buffers for storing the data. During a first odd field, the closed caption data is stored in the ping buffer and the closed caption data from a previous field is read from the pong buffer. During the even field, the closed caption data is again read from the pong buffer. During the next odd field, the operation is repeated with the functions of the ping and pong buffers reversed. Alternatively the even field may contain the closed caption data. The digitizer and decoder circuit includes a capture or display valid bit in the closed caption data to indicate that the caption data is from the current field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: S3 Incorporated
    Inventors: William S. Herz, Sunil S. Mahajan
  • Patent number: 5872784
    Abstract: A remote connection digital processing device with network capability includes on a single chip asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network protocol processing system interconnection circuits and Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) decoder circuits. The ATM interconnection circuits include a physical-layer medium dependent (PMD) unit connected to an ATM network. A transmission convergence (TC)/Framer unit is connected to the PMD unit. An ATM segmentation and reassembly (SAR) unit is connected to the PMD unit. Packet conversion logic is coupled to the ATM SAR unit for converting ATM packets to MPEG format. The MPEG decompression decoder circuits include a demodulator decryption unit coupled to the packet conversion logic. A video decoder is coupled to the demodulator decryption unit. An audio decoder is coupled to the demodulator decryption circuit. A display is coupled to the video decoder. Audio output devices are coupled to the audio decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Rostoker, John P. Daane, Sanjay Desai, D. Tony Stelliga
  • Patent number: 5870472
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preventing unauthorized descrambling of cable programming includes selective relocation of the service data channel within the vertical blanking interval thereby preventing unauthorized descrambling of programming by conventional descramblers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Chang, Alfred W. Stufflet
  • Patent number: 5856975
    Abstract: A high speed digital video network apparatus is implemented on a single integrated circuit chip, and includes a network protocol processing system interconnection, compression/decompression circuits, and encoder/decoder circuits. The interconnection includes a packet conversion logic which converts between a network protocol, such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) packets, and the data protocol used to handle large data streams, such as Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Rostoker, John P. Daane, Sanjay Desai, D. Tony Stelliga
  • Patent number: 5835493
    Abstract: A remultiplexer is disclosed for communicating plural programs. Each program comprises one or more elementary streams that are encoded in relation to a single common time base corresponding to the respective program. The communicated programs originate from plural input transport streams that each comprises plural transport packets. Each transport packet contains a packet identifier indicating the data contained therein. Within each transport stream, unique packet identifiers are assigned to each elementary stream of each program. The data of each elementary stream is only contained in transport packets having a corresponding packet identifier. Each input transport stream contains time stamps for reconstructing the single program time base corresponding to each program conveyed therein. The remultiplexer has a data link module which receives the plural input transport streams. The data link module also selectively extracts transport packets from the received input transport streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Divicom, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Magee, Brian Johnson, Tom Lookabaugh, Nolan Daines
  • Patent number: 5831679
    Abstract: Signal processors for permitting the transparent, simultaneous transmission and reception of a volume of information in the video bandwidth is disclosed. The volume of data is selected in response to receiving a signal at a transmitter site. The signal processor in the transmitter rasterizes the volume of information at the horizontal scanning rate and modulates the volume of information with a data carrier at a non-integral multiple of the horizontal scanning rate to provide a frequency interleaved combined signal. The combined signal is transmitted during the active video portion of each video line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: WavePhore, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald D Montgomery, Jay B Norrish
  • Patent number: 5818935
    Abstract: A system for accessing the Internet based on an Internet information pointer encoded in a video signal. The system includes a video display adapted to display a video portion of the video signal. The system also includes an Internet access device including a decoder adapted to extract the Internet information pointer encoded in the video signal, the access device being adapted to connect to the Internet to access the Internet based on the extracted Internet information pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Inventor: Chia-Yiu Maa
  • Patent number: 5812760
    Abstract: A programmable, byte wise, multimedia bitstream parser comprises an input data organizer, a data management buffer, a register file, a logical unit and a microprogram controller. A data source alternatively provides a bitstream to a parallel or serial port and the input data organizer, which includes a serial to parallel converter and a multiplexer, arranges the incoming data into a parallel stream of bytes for passage to the data management buffer. Status flags are associated with each byte passing through the management buffer to facilitate data processing, including start code and context identification and error handling. The register file includes counters and intermediate data buffers for processing a plurality of layers with data quantities which are not predetermined by syntax. Additionally, the register file is provided in tandem for dual context processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Mendenhall, Darren Neuman, Manabu Gozu
  • Patent number: 5790198
    Abstract: Television schedule information transmission and utilization systems (50A-50D) transmit TV schedule data and associated network control messages provided by computer (54) as packets via the Video Blanking Interval (VBI) lines in the TV signal from various television program providers (51). This data is acquired by regional data processing systems and forwarded by the regional data processing systems to subscriber units (52) and used to construct an internal database. This internal database can be accessed by the subscriber unit (52) to display a TV schedule for the channels that are received by the user's TV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: StarSight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: John H. Roop, Alan R. Ebright, Jeffrey J. Kochy, David P. Warden, Konstantine Sokolik, Giambattista A. Alegiani
  • Patent number: 5784277
    Abstract: A packet encoder includes various sources of data, a state machine and additional circuitry. The state machine provides an S-bit output signal. N of the output bits of the state machine, (N<S), are coupled to directly control a multiplexer without an intervening state decoder. The multiplexer combines data from the various sources into a packet signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: RCA Thomson Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas John Meyer
  • Patent number: 5771239
    Abstract: An MPEG transport packet stream or the like is modified to provide concatenated synchronization bytes at an output of an interleaver receiving the modified packet stream. A conventional sync byte located in a first transport packet is replaced with a first substitute sync byte. A conventional sync byte located in a conventional sync byte position of a second transport packet is deleted. Another byte from the second transport packet is moved to the position of the deleted sync byte to open a desired byte position in the second transport packet. A second substitute sync byte is inserted into the desired byte position. The first and second transport packets and the desired byte position are selected to provide the first and second substitute sync bytes at locations in the modified packet stream where the first substitute sync byte will be concatenated with the second substitute sync byte at the output of the interleaver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation of Delaware
    Inventors: Paul Moroney, Mark S. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 5754940
    Abstract: A system for providing interactive services in a subscription television system includes a system controller for controlling the interactive services, a video signal source for transmitting a video signal and a subscriber terminal for receiving a downstream transaction from the system controller and the video signal. The system controller comprises a memory for storing subscriber terminal address data and transaction data, a processor for generating a downstream transaction including subscriber terminal address data and transaction data, a transmitter for transmitting the downstream transaction, and a receiver for receiving an upstream transaction. The subscriber terminal includes memory for storing the downstream transaction, an on screen display generator for overlaying data in place of or superimposed on the video signal, data input circuitry for generating upstream data, and an upstream transmitter for transmitting the upstream data to the system controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Smith, Lee R. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5745184
    Abstract: Apparatus for compressing video information including digital data in horizontal or vertical blanking intervals of analog video signals includes circuitry (210) for retrieving such digital data. The retrieved digital data is formatted into auxiliary digital data packets. The analog video signal is compressed (214) according to, for example, the MPEG compression protocol and the auxiliary digital data packets are included (212) in the frame/picture headers of the compressed video signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles Bailey Neal
  • Patent number: 5739860
    Abstract: In a moving picture decoding apparatus, an output section is provided with a circuit for making a logic sum of control signals for renewing a picture data output, as a control signal for determining a picture data to be next outputted in a selected mode. Thereby, according to a request, newly decoded picture data is discarded or an inputted picture data is discarded without being decoded, and picture data which is currently being outputted is outputted again. In response to a control signal for renewing the output, decoded picture data to be outputted subsequently is outputted and picture data which is currently being outputted is discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Hoshino, Takafumi Kikuchi, Tadashi Saitoh, Junichi Kimura, Yutaka Okunoki, Masao Oshimi
  • Patent number: 5737025
    Abstract: In the present invention, an ancillary code is added to a composite video signal in its active video portion. The ancillary code may be spread over several frequencies and summed at the output of a decoder to enhance the legibility of the ancillary code at the output of the decoder. Frequency-stepping may be used to add the ancillary code at ones of a plurality of selected frequencies within the bandwidth of the composite video signal. The ancillary code may be hierarchically apportioned between respective uniquely specified sequential segments corresponding to many distribution points of the composite television signal. This hierarchical ancillary code may be frequency-interleaved between harmonics of the horizontal sync frequency of the composite video signal. The ancillary code may be redundantly added above and below the roll-off frequency of a VCR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Dougherty, David A. Kiewit, Daozheng Lu, Henry B. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 5731841
    Abstract: A tuner specifically adapted for recovery of a data signal injected into a video signal and then subsequently transmitted over a television channel or cable is disclosed. The tuner includes an IF local oscillator that is phase locked to the input signal sync pulses and has filters that are designed to pass through only the data bandwidth. In addition, the circuit has a low noise figure of about 1.5 dB and a third order intercept point of +35 dBm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Wavephore, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen Var Rosenbaum, Melvyn Engel
  • Patent number: 5719634
    Abstract: Digital data comprised of bytes formed of a predetermined number of data bits are encoded for representation in a video frame. Each byte of digital data, or a portion thereof, is represented in a respective region of the video frame by one or more video component levels that are assigned to the region and which correspond to the numerical value of the data bits of the byte or of the portion. The digital data are represented in the video frames in place of a video image or, alternatively, are represented in the same frames in which video images are recorded but in the areas of the frame in which the video image is not ordinarily recorded. Digital data represented in the video frame are decoded from the video component levels assigned to the regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignees: Sony Corportion, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter A Keery, Susumu Murakami
  • Patent number: 5708960
    Abstract: In order to dispatch a newspaper to subscriber households through satellite communication, a newspaper edit/dispatch system in the head office of a newspaper publishing company electronically creates each paper sheet of national news section as first newspaper data, and transmits the first newspaper data to the branch offices of the company through a communication satellite. In a newspaper edit/broadcast system installed in each of the branch offices, the received first newspaper data and second newspaper data of a local news section are combined and edited into third newspaper data, the third newspaper data are encrypted, and the sort of newspaper and the date of issue thereof are affixed to the encrypted newspaper data. Such newspaper data are broadcast through the communication satellite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadayuki Kamisaka, Satoshi Ikehama, Shigehiro Tomita
  • Patent number: 5703877
    Abstract: Audio data is processed from a packetized data stream carrying digital television information in a succession of fixed length transport packets. Some of the packets contain a presentation time stamp (PTS) indicative of a time for commencing the output of associated audio data. After the audio data stream has been acquired, the detected audio packets are monitored to locate subsequent PTS's for adjusting the timing at which audio data is output, thereby providing proper lip synchronization with associated video. Errors in the audio data are processed in a manner which attempts to maintain synchronization of the audio data stream while masking the errors. In the event that the synchronization condition cannot be maintained, for example in the presence of errors over more than one audio frame, the audio data stream is reacquired while the audio output is concealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation of Delaware
    Inventors: Ray Nuber, Paul Moroney, G. Kent Walker
  • Patent number: 5699124
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for communicating VBI user information for digital television. A syntax is provided which allows the transport of closed captions, non-realtime video, sampled video and AMOL. Non-realtime video can be used to transport various types of data, such as a vertical interval test signal (VITS) through the system at full resolution. The provision in the syntax of a count for each type of VBI user information enables the adjustment of a digital television data stream to accommodate variable amounts and types of such information without space being reserved in advance. The provision of a priority number in the syntax enables decoders to discard VBI user information priorities which are not supported by the particular decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation of Delaware
    Inventors: Ray Nuber, Paul Moroney, Chris Hoogenboom
  • Patent number: 5691776
    Abstract: Teletext page signals are transmitted in a format providing basic pages and extension pages, and a table which includes a code for indexing extension pages to the basic pages with which they are to be used. The code includes a multibit value for selecting an extension page from a list, and a single bit for selecting or not selecting a predetermined common extension page. Each extension page includes signals for enhancing the basic page or pages to a higher level display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Henricus A. W. Van Gestel
  • Patent number: 5689509
    Abstract: A circuit and method for optimizing efficiency in transferring a block of data having a plurality of frames of limited size from a memory element. The circuit comprises a transmit ("TX") DMA engine and a TX Segmentation engine. The TX DMA engine is responsible for accessing overhead information for the block of data within a TX data buffer from a data descriptor dedicated to that particular TX data buffer. The TX DMA engine is further responsible for reading the block of data from the memory element to be stored local thereto. The TX Segmentation engine is responsible for segmenting the block of data into a plurality of cell packets corresponding in number to the plurality of frames. Each cell packet contains in common the overhead information for the block of data to avoid the TX DMA engine re-accessing the data descriptor to obtain the same overhead information for each frame being transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Andre J. Gaytan, Denny Gentry, Rasoul Oskouy
  • Patent number: 5684542
    Abstract: A video subtitle processing system encoding unit which allows display of high quality subtitle in accordance to a preference of an user, to switch the display of the subtitle quickly without degrading the background video image and to transmit and display the colored subtitle with less data amount are provided. The subtitle data encoding unit comprises a color lookup table as memory means for storing color data and a color quantization circuit as detecting means for detecting an address in memory for storing the color data which corresponds to a color of the subtitle, and is characterized in that the address in the memory means detected by the color quantization circuit is coded and transmitted as color information concerning on the color of the subtitle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Ikuo Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 5675355
    Abstract: To interface a video/graphic controller, which produces conventional, ana video output signals, suitable mostly for CRT type displays, to a matrix display, one of the video output signals, for example the horizontal sync signal, is encoded with the clock frequency and phase information used in generating the original video output signals. The encoded information is decoded at the display end, by extracting from it the clock information and synthesizing a clock signal which has the identical frequency and phase as the original clock used at the video/graphic controller. The replicated clock signal is used as a clock input to the matrix display, to assure that the video output signals are displayed at the correct pixel locations of the matrix display, preventing picture jitter and/or loss of video/graphics data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Yue Tong David Chiu, Richard P. Tuttle
  • Patent number: 5666168
    Abstract: The instant application is directed to a cable facsimile machine which implements the upper vestigial chrominance sideband of a standard video signal for data transmission.Signal processors for permitting the transparent, simultaneous transmission and reception of a data signal in the video bandwidth is disclosed. The signal processor in the transmitter rasterizes the data at the horizontal scanning rate and modulates the data with a data carrier at a non-integral multiple of the horizontal scanning rate to obtain frequency interleaving. The data is transmitted during the active video portion of each video line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: WavePhore, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald D. Montgomery, Jay B. Norrish
  • Patent number: 5659368
    Abstract: A system for processing auxiliary video signals provides for decoding an extended data services signal in line 21 of field 2. Extended data services provide a general purpose video system information and control capability in addition to basic closed caption operation. Extended data services information is arranged in packets of data. Each packet provides information regarding current of future video programs, the source of the video program, and miscellaneous information such as time of day. The extended data services data may be decoded to control the operation of a video system including a videocassette recorder (VCR) and a television receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael David Landis
  • Patent number: RE37620
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for communicating VBI user information for digital television. A syntax is provided which allows the transport of closed captions, non-realtime video, sampled video and AMOL. Non-realtime video can be used to transport various types of data, such as a vertical interval test signal (VITS) through the system at full resolution. The provision in the syntax of a count for each type of VBI user information enables the adjustment of a digital television data stream to accommodate variable amounts and types of such information without space being reserved in advance. The provision of a priority number in the syntax enables decoders to discard VBI user information priorities which are not supported by the particular decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Ray Nuber, Paul Moroney, Chris Hoogenboom