With Interface Between Recording/reproducing Device And At Least One Other Local Device Patents (Class 386/200)
  • Patent number: 8320748
    Abstract: An audio/video information recording/reproducing device capable of easily implementing a post-recording function on an optical disk by using even a low-cost disk drive having a comparatively low-speed seek time. When recording a video file, it is recorded on an optical disk continuously for a duration equivalent to more than three times a seek time. When recording dubbing audio, it is recorded continuously only with constant data size at the same time with the reproducing of the recorded video file, thereby enabling concurrent real-time continuous reproducing and recording. Accordingly, concurrent reproductions of a video file and an audio file are ensured when reproducing dubbing audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Itoh, Masafumi Shimotashiro
  • Patent number: 8320730
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an I/O device capable of collectively managing and easily editing AV data recorded by a plurality of video cameras with transfer bit rate between devices kept constant, and an I/O management system. The I/O management system according to the present invention comprises: a storage device having a non-linear accessible recording medium; a control unit for controlling output of externally supplied data with respect to the storage device, or input of data from the storage device; and one or more I/O device having a record information management unit for managing, through a file system, record information acquired at the time when data is recorded onto the recording medium, and controls input of data from the storage device on the basis of the record information managed by a file system at the time of reproduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Morishima, Yoshinori Koishikawa, Ryo Abiko
  • Patent number: 8320742
    Abstract: An apparatus for recording/reproducing external device data in a broadcast receiver and method thereof are disclosed, by which a broadcast receiver allowed by a certification key is enabled to access a corresponding external device only. The present invention includes a connection checking step of checking a state of a physical connection between an external device and the broadcast receiver, a certification key registration deciding step of deciding whether a reserved certification key is registered, an access allowance deciding step of if the certification key is registered, deciding whether to allow an access to the connected external device by verifying the certification key, and an access allowing step of if the access is allowed, recording/reproducing corresponding data by accessing the connected external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Hee Young Park
  • Patent number: 8315501
    Abstract: A reproduction apparatus is disclosed. A reproduction section reproduces video data from a record medium. The video data are managed in a unit of a clip composed of a plurality of frames which are chronologically successive. A first decode section decodes a first clip which is currently being output and stores the decoded first clip. A second decode section pre-decodes at least a frame which is output at beginning of a second clip adjacent to the first clip in a reproduction order and stores the decoded frame. A control section which controls a clip adjacent to a decoded position side of the first clip in the reproduction order to become the second clip for an early region and a late region of a time length based on a center position of a reproduction time length of the first clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Naito
  • Patent number: 8315502
    Abstract: Described herein are techniques for selective archival of media content. A first entertainment device stores a plurality of media content files on a first storage medium. The first entertainment devices selects a portion of the media content files for backup based on characteristics of the media content files and transmits the portion of the media content files to a second entertainment device through a communication network. The second entertainment device stores the portion of the media content files on a second storage medium associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Henry Gregg Martch, William Michael Beals
  • Patent number: 8316403
    Abstract: In the case where the receiving apparatus 1 obtains, from a content archive, and reproduces a first video content having the same content as a program being broadcast, the difference of the ending time between the first video content being played and the program being broadcast is detected (S701). In the case where there is a difference in the ending time (YES in step S702), the receiving apparatus 1 obtains, from the content archive, a second video content having the same content as the next program started following the program being broadcast (S703, S704), and reproduces the second video content following the first video content being played (S705 to S709).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eito Sakakima, Shuntaro Aratani, Kazuna Maruyama, Satoshi Hanamitsu, Satoshi Ukawa
  • Patent number: 8311400
    Abstract: A content reproduction apparatus (100), connected to a display and speakers, includes: a content display control unit (200) which can cause a first window (1101) and a second window (1201) to be displayed on the display; a sound output control unit (110) which can cause at least one speaker assigned for outputting sound of first content to output the sound of the first content, and can cause at least one speaker assigned for outputting sound of second content to output the sound of the second content; a viewable range calculation unit (150) which calculates, by calculation, a viewable range in which the first viewer is located and which is included in a predetermined range where the first viewer can hear the sound of the first content with a predetermined acoustic effect; and a display control unit which outputs, to provide to the first viewer, information based on the viewable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Takamitsu Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8311382
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for recording and publishing content on social networking websites and other websites include providing an imbedded link on a social networking webpage to media recorder software stored on an external server system, invoking the media recorder software within a displayed instance of the social networking webpage through an application programming interface for the social networking webpage, receiving a video stream defining video captured using the media recorder software at the external video management server system, generating and storing a video file using the received video stream at the external server system, selecting the stored video file for distribution via one or more communication networks, and providing the stored video file for display within displayed instances of webpages hosted on external web server systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Youtoo Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Harwell, Christopher W. Wyatt, Ryland M. Reed
  • Patent number: 8311395
    Abstract: The present invention comprises an input part for inputting image data, a receiving part for receiving production information relating to production transmitted from another apparatus, a recording part for recording the production information received by the receiving part and image data input by the input part, a detection part for detecting a recording position on a recording medium at an editing point of image data recorded by the recording part, and a transmission part for transmitting information of the recording position detected by the detection part, whereby identification information for identifying image data and voice data is recorded in a recording medium or a recording device, this relieving a burden on a photographer and an editor and facilitating extraction of image data and voice data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Yanagita
  • Patent number: 8306391
    Abstract: A method for operating a data reproduction device enables users to resume reproduction of audio and/or video content across different devices of the same or different type. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of receiving first index data from a different data reproduction device wherein the first index data indicates a first position in content in a first format and the content includes at least one of audio and video data, determining a second position in the content in a second format using the first index data, and enabling reproduction of the content in the second format beginning from the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Manoj Viswambharan, Louis Robert Litwin
  • Patent number: 8305496
    Abstract: Disclosed is a scaling process system including a replay apparatus and a video output apparatus which are connected via a HDMI, wherein each of the video output apparatus and the replay apparatus respectively comprises a between-pixel interpolation method table, wherein the video output apparatus including a request signal transmission device to transmit a request signal, a between-pixel interpolation method information receiving device to receive the between-pixel interpolation method information, a determining device to determine which of between-pixel interpolation method information of the replay apparatus or between-pixel interpolation method information of the video output apparatus is more high-performance, a deciding device to decide an apparatus to be used for the scaling process, and a control device to control the apparatus which is decided by the deciding device so as to carry out the scaling process, and wherein the replay apparatus including a request signal receiving device to receive the reque
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiji Wanaka
  • Patent number: 8306384
    Abstract: The present invention provides an information recording medium in which an access unit including basic data and extension data is recorded, so as to allow a decoder that decodes only basic data to process the access unit which includes the basic data and the extension data for the next generation. The information recording medium is an information recording medium on which a stream is recorded, the stream having plural access units and including at least one of video and audio, wherein each of the access units has basic data and extension data related to the basic data, the basic data is data that can be decoded into a completed state without requiring the extension data, and the extension data is data for improving the quality of data generated from the basic data, and information indicating that the extension data is included in each of the access units is recorded in an area, included in the access unit, which cannot be identified by the decoder which decodes only the basic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yahata, Tomoyuki Okada, Masahiro Sueyoshi, Kosuke Nishio, Wataru Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8306402
    Abstract: A display device switches a broadcast channel which is being received by a tuner unit based on a broadcast channel switching instruction input from a user operating unit and transmits broadcast channel switching information to a recording and reproduction device. The recording and reproduction device sets a channel of a tuner unit to the same channel as the display device based on the broadcast channel switching information. A content is recorded and reproduced by a recording and reproduction unit based on a time shift viewing/listening instruction, a switch unit of the display device is switched from the tuner unit to the recording and reproduction device, and the reproduction output from the recording and reproduction device is displayed on a display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihide Ishihara
  • Patent number: 8306383
    Abstract: To provide a data structure contributing to managing a moving picture and a still picture efficiently and also provide an apparatus for performing recording and/or playback using such a data structure. A data processor includes: a drive unit for writing at least one still picture file on a level that is lower in hierarchy than a still picture folder of a storage medium; and a control section for generating file specifying information that specifies the storage location of each still picture file in the level and identification information for identifying each still picture file uniquely and for compiling a table that associates the file specifying information and the identification information with each other. The drive unit writes the table as a table file on the storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yahata
  • Publication number: 20120275755
    Abstract: An entertainment device for generating augmented reality environments comprises an input for a captured video signal, an image analyser to detect a predetermined marker object location within the captured video signal, a graphics generator to generate a graphics object for integration with the video signal at a selected position to generate an augmented reality image, a controller to positionally couple the graphics object to the detected marker object location within the captured video signal, and a detection failure logic to signal when the image analyser cannot adequately detect the marker object's location within the captured signal. If the logic signals the image analyser cannot detect the location of the marker object within the captured video signal, then the controller positionally decouples the graphics object from the last detected location of the marker object within the video signal, and instructs the graphics generator to modify a characteristic of the graphics object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE LIMITED
    Inventor: James Thomas Southworth
  • Patent number: 8301006
    Abstract: An image displaying apparatus, an image editing apparatus, an image editing system, an image displaying method and an image editing method are disclosed. The image displaying apparatus includes an image processing unit which captures a still image, a communication module which communicates with an external device, and a control unit which controls an edited image to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-hyun Park, Dae-gu Kim, Il-kwon Kim
  • Patent number: 8290334
    Abstract: A system and method for automated editing of content is disclosed. The system includes a biasable editing engine. A user is provided with content. The user rates the content according to user preferences. The system receives the ratings implements the editor engine, which edits the content and which is biased in its decision making by user ratings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Cyberlink Corp.
    Inventor: Michael Francis Demeyer
  • Patent number: 8290349
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a playback apparatus, a method, and a program which can appropriately perform jump playback when content transmitted through a network is played back in real time. A terminal 3 receives stream data transmitted from a server 1, buffers the stream data, and plays back the buffered data. The terminal 3 has multiple buffers to allow content data of the positions of jump destinations that can be specified as a jump destination during jump playback to be pre-buffered in the multiple buffers. As a result, upon receiving a request for jump playback, the terminal 3 can start playback from a jump destination without delay, since the data of the jump destination has already been buffered. The present invention is applied to, for example, television receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Matsubayashi
  • Patent number: 8285116
    Abstract: A control unit of a recording apparatus determines a transfer mode of content data by an external device, re-encodes the content data by a re-encoding unit and records the re-encoded content data in a recording unit if the determined transfer mode is a first transfer mode with which the re-encoding unit is compatible, and records the content data in the recording unit, re-encodes the content data read out from the recording unit by the re-encoding unit, and re-records the re-encoded content data in the recording unit if the determined transfer mode is a second transfer mode with which the re-encoding unit is not compatible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takeo Morinaga
  • Patent number: 8279224
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to improve convenience in using a system capable of recording electronic data in association with time information. To achieve this object, an information processing apparatus of this invention includes a display control device which displays, on a display device together with a time line, time information which is obtained from a timer and associated with electronic data recorded by a recording control device, and a processing device which determines on the basis of the time information associated with the electronic data whether a count of the timer was corrected, wherein if it is determined that the count of the timer was corrected, the display control device displays, on the display device together with the time line, information representing correction contents of the time information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuhiro Takanezawa
  • Patent number: 8280221
    Abstract: A transmission server system includes: a material output portion that temporarily stores materials making up a program and transferred from a material server and outputs the materials by successively reading out the materials, wherein the material output portion has a plurality of recording and reproducing portions, the materials making up the program are transferred from the material server commonly to the plurality of recording and reproducing portions and recorded in each, and the respective materials are reproduced by and outputted from a recoding and reproducing portion as a transmission subject among the plurality of recording and reproducing portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kawabe, Yoshinori Ishida, Akiyuki Takano, Naoko Seki, Yuki Hikita, Yoshie Tadano, Rikako Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 8280220
    Abstract: A reproduction apparatus successively decoding and reproducing a plurality of picture data forming reproduced data, comprising a reproduction memory, a decoder decoding the picture data, writing the decoding results in the reproduction memory, and reproducing and outputting the decoding results read from the reproduction memory, and a processing circuit for performing decoding scheduling for determining an order of making the decoder decode picture data belonging to a group of picture data in units of groups of picture data comprised of a predetermined plurality of the picture data, generating scheduling result data including decoding order data indicating the determined order and validity data indicating validity of the picture data, selecting the picture data to be processed in the order determined by the decoding scheduling based on the scheduling result data, and, conditional on the selected picture data being valid, making the decoder decode and reproduce and output the picture data and, when receiving a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Tsunashima, Shojiro Shibata, Mototsugu Takamura, Kyohei Koyabu, Shinjiro Kakita
  • Patent number: 8275232
    Abstract: A data transmission interface apparatus is provided for communicating with another data transmission interface apparatus through a digital transmission means specified for multimedia data transmission. The data transmission interface apparatus has at least a processor for processing multimedia data; and a data converting circuit, coupled to the processor, for converting a plurality of first multimedia data sets into a plurality of second multimedia data sets; and for converting a plurality of first auxiliary data sets into a plurality of second auxiliary data sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Kuan-Chou Chen, Hua Wu, Chih-Hao Hsiao, Chi-Chin Lien, Ting-Hsun Wei, Ching-Chieh Wang
  • Patent number: 8270800
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus decodes compression-coded video data including I-pictures, P-pictures, and B-pictures. The information processing apparatus includes at least one decoder decoding the compression-coded video data, a supply controller controlling the supply of the compression-coded video data to the decoder, and a controller controlling processing executed by the supply controller and the decoder. The decoder includes a bank memory for storing decoded picture data, and the controller controls the timing at which a picture stored in the bank memory is released by changing the value of a first counter indicating a number of times for which the picture stored in the bank memory is referred to when a P-picture or a B-picture is decoded by the decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shojiro Shibata, Shuji Tsunashima, Mototsugu Takamura, Kyohei Koyabu, Shinjiro Kakita, Mitsuhisa Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8270811
    Abstract: An information management method for managing whether to allow playback of copyrighted content includes an invalidating step, executed by playback management means when an invalidating request for content recorded on a recording medium is received, of registering the content in playback-management information as being in a playback-prohibition state; a playback processing step, executed by playback controlling means when a playback request for content on the recording medium is received, of permitting playback only when the content is not in the playback-prohibition state with reference to the playback-management information; and an invalidation canceling step, executed by the playback controlling means when playback-permission information associated with content in the playback-prohibition state is obtained, of updating the playback-management information so that the playback-prohibition state of the content is canceled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Inokuchi, Tsutomu Ichinose
  • Patent number: 8265463
    Abstract: Video data and audio data corresponding to a predetermined attribute is retrieved from the video data and the audio data, each of which is stored in association with an attribute, and the retrieved items of the video data and the audio data are listed in a form showing a correlation between the video data and the audio data. In a case that items of the video data and audio data are selected, wherein said items of the video data and audio data are displayed and correlated with each other, the selected video data and audio data can be synchronized with each other and played-back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Kohno
  • Patent number: 8265448
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus may include means for storing priority information on priorities of contents, means for receiving a list of the contents stored in another electronic apparatus with attribute information on contents in the list from anther electronic apparatus, means for determining whether a content in the list is a first content with a first priority or a second content with a second priority lower than the first priority, means for causing whole data of the first content to be received if the content is the first content and causing beginning portion data of the second content to be received if the content is the second content, means for storing at least one of the whole data and the beginning portion data, and means for causing the stored whole data to be reproduced and causing subsequent portion data to be received from the other electronic apparatus while the beginning portion data is being reproduced and to be reproduced following the reproduction of the beginning portion data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Morihiko Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20120224825
    Abstract: Content is created at a first location using a video camera or other device. At least a subset of the created content is stored in non-volatile storage at the first location. At least a portion of the content stored in the non-volatile storage is transmitted to a remote entity via a network in response to a trigger. If the network becomes unavailable, the camera will store the video in a local flash memory and when the network becomes available, the camera can transmit the video from the flash memory to the server or other client. Alternatively, the camera may transmit low resolution video to the server while storing a high resolution version of the video in the local flash memory. If a trigger event occurs, the camera will then send the appropriate high resolution video the local flash memory to the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Philip David Royall, Kinshuk Rakshit, Kevin Patrick Kealy, Fabrice Jogand-Coulomb, Itzhak Pomerantz
  • Patent number: 8260107
    Abstract: A disk apparatus includes a disk section, a process, section, a disk start control device, and a disk start mode setting device. At the time when power ON operation is carried out, in the case (1) when the disk start mode setting device is set in the disabling mode, the disk start control device carries out control so as to start the processing section without starting a hard disk. And in the case (2) when the disk start mode setting device is set in the enabling mode, the disk start control device carries out control to start the hard disk and the processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Toru Miyano
  • Patent number: 8260108
    Abstract: A recording and reproduction apparatus may include an information signal recording section configured to record an information signal on a recording medium; a reproduction section configured to read/reproduce the information signal; a feature amount detection section configured to detect feature amounts of the information signal to be recorded and/or the reproduced information signal; a division detection section configured to detect divisions of the information signal; a keyword obtaining section configured to obtain a keyword; a keyword recording section configured to record the keywords obtained by the keyword obtaining section; a user operation input detection section configured to detect operation input by a user; a user evaluation value generator configured to generate a user evaluation value; a keyword evaluation value accumulation and storage section configured to accumulate the user evaluation value for each of the keywords and store the accumulated evaluation value; and a recommendation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Sho Murakoshi
  • Patent number: 8249413
    Abstract: A video recording system includes a first Network Video Recorder (NVR) that receives a video delivered via a video packet stream and records the video to a first long-term storage. A second NVR receives the same video and temporarily stores it in temporary storage. When a failure of the first NVR is detected at a first point, the second NVR starts recording the video to long-term storage. The temporarily stored video is used by the second NVR to fill in the gap in recorded video in long-term storage that occurred between the failure of the first NVR and the start of the second NVR recording the video to long-term storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Verint Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Hing Yip Chung, Fuk Sang Mak, Golan Levy, Wai Chung Lam, Chong Va Cheong, Shiu Hang Tsang
  • Patent number: 8238710
    Abstract: A reproduction apparatus includes a reproduction unit that reproduces digital data selected by a user; a prediction unit that predicts a reproducible time based on remaining power of a battery and a determination unit that determines whether the digital data selected by the user can be reproduced to the end or not based on the reproducible time, wherein when the determination unit determines that the selected digital data can be reproduced to the end, the reproduction apparatus causes the reproduction unit to reproduce the selected digital data and when the determination unit determines that the selected digital data cannot be reproduced to the end, the reproduction apparatus warns that the digital data cannot be reproduced to the end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Shiiyama
  • Patent number: 8233765
    Abstract: A computing system that has access to a streamed multimedia sample that is stored on a storage medium applies a zero-based presentation timestamp numbering scheme to the data packets of the multimedia sample, on-the-fly, and after each seek operation. After seeking to a desired starting point, the computing system reads ahead a maximum number of data packets within each media stream of the multimedia sample. A smallest timestamp (normalizing presentation timestamp) is identified and then subtracted from the timestamps of the data packets that are transmitted to the appropriate rendering devices, thereby creating appropriate presentation timestamps for the data packets for synchronizing the playback of the multimedia sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Matthijs A. Gates, Jai Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8234672
    Abstract: A method and system is provided to control playback of digital media on a playback device. The system may include a playback unit including at least one digital media storage communication interface to communicate with a media storage device, and a bi-directional remote control communication interface. Further, the system may include a separate remote control device to control the playback of the digital media on the playback device. The remote control device may include a complemental remote control communication interface for bi-directional communication with the remote control communication interface of the playback unit. The remote control device may also include a display screen, wherein the remote control device receives data from the playback unit for display on the display screen. The invention extends to a playback unit and to a remote control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Lee Morse, Vincent Tong, Chan Tur Wei
  • Patent number: 8233764
    Abstract: A program recording method receives and records a desired program, the recording of which is set based on at least a broadcast time period and a broadcast channel. The method includes obtaining an electronic program guide and, when the desired program recording is set, searching a character string in a predetermined region of the electronic program guide including the broadcast time and broadcast channel, and changing the broadcast time period to a new time period when a predetermined word is included in the character string. A program recording apparatus for performing the method is also provided. The program recording apparatus and method ensure that a situation does not occur in which an end portion of the desired program is not recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventors: Yukinori Kita, Shinichiro Sugai, Makoto Korehisa, Takayuki Miyama
  • Patent number: 8224148
    Abstract: A decoding apparatus for enabling decoding processing free of unneeded delay at a switching point between digital high definition broadcast and multi-view broadcast. The decoding apparatus includes a picture frame storage unit (34) for storing an HD picture frame, decoded by a decoding unit (33), in terms of a storage area for HS as a unit, and for storing m SD picture frames, in terms of a recording area for SD as a unit, and a recording area procuring unit (host CPU) (14) for procuring a recording area for SD and a recording area for HD, based on the recording area information for HD and on the recording area information for SD, when m SD picture stream data is supplied. The decoding apparatus also includes a picture frame write unit (15) for writing an HD picture frame in the procured storage area for HD and for writing m SD picture frames in the procured storage area for SD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Karimoto, Masayoshi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8224149
    Abstract: A record/reproduction apparatus capable of performing record-reproduction with high definition and standard definition appropriately records information, and includes: at least one of a display unit and an output unit to an external display device; a hard disk drive; and a disc drive corresponding to record-reproduction using a disc for record-reproduction in a high definition mode and a disc for record-reproduction in a standard definition mode. With the configuration, the record/reproduction apparatus performs a display on the display unit in the high definition mode or a display-output to the output unit in the high definition mode at activation, recognizes one of the hard disk drive and the disc drive as a record medium after the display-outputting, and sets a record mode to one of the hard disk drive and the disc drive based on a result of the recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Kato, Akinobu Watanabe, Hiroyuki Marumori, Takaki Matsushita
  • Patent number: 8220028
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a content transmission apparatus connected to a content reception apparatus at a remote place via a network, the content transmission apparatus including: a broadcast signal reception section configured to receive a broadcast content on one or more channels; a recording/reproducing section configured to compress and record data of at least 24 hours of broadcast content on each channel, and reproduce the recorded compressed data; a communication section configured to transmit the compressed data to the content reception apparatus via the network; and a delay control section configured to control the recording/reproducing section to control a delay time between a broadcasting time of the content and a time at which the compressed data is transmitted. The delay time is set in accordance with time difference information indicating a time difference between places where the content transmission apparatus and the content reception apparatus are placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Ohga, Satoru Maeda
  • Patent number: 8218939
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program provide a mechanism for intelligently synchronizing a portable video device with a digital video recorder. The intelligent synchronization handles conditions under which a complete transfer of difference content is not possible due to available storage limitations of the portable video device. The synchronization process determines a content difference between the content on the portable video device and the content on the DVR, determines available storage space on the portable video device and compares the available storage space on the portable video device to a size of the content difference. If the size of the content difference is greater than the available storage space, the size of the content difference is reduced, by compression or truncation, without completely excluding video programs from the transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kulvir S. Bhogal, Gregory J. Boss, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Brian M. O'Connell
  • Patent number: 8213768
    Abstract: A packet transmitting apparatus (401) capable of transmitting a copyright-protected content across an IP network includes: a transmission condition setting/managing unit (403) that extracts from inputted non-A/V data or A/V data at least one information of billing information, reproduction control information, copy control information for the A/V data, and packet output control information, and generate encryption mode information indicating an encryption mode which becomes a condition during transmission of the A/V data; an encrypted data generation unit (422) that encrypts inputted A/V data based on a transmission condition determined by combining input terminal information, data format information, and attribute information, and adds an encryption information header based on the encryption mode information and time-based discontinuity information to the encrypted A/V data so as to generate encrypted data; and a packetization unit (406) that generates a packet by adding a packet header and information repre
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Morioka, Naoshi Usuki, Toshihiko Munetsugu
  • Patent number: 8208786
    Abstract: The present invention provides a device for recording and playing back audio/video signals. A portable storage device (11) has mounted thereon a portable storage device connector (13) of a first type adapted to transfer audio/video signals of a first type (15). A first audio/video system (17) has a first audio/video system connector (19) of the first type for directly connecting to the portable storage device connector (13) to exchange audio/video signals of the first type (15) between the portable storage device (11) and the first audio/video system (17) to record and playback audio/video signals of the first type (15). A second audio/video system (21) receives audio/signals of a second type (23). An interface section (25) has an interface section connector (27) of the first type for directly connecting to the portable storage device (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Trek 2000 International Ltd.
    Inventors: Henry Tan, Teng Pin Poo
  • Patent number: 8208783
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including a converting unit for converting a level range of an input image signal into a predetermined level range, and an outputting unit for outputting the converted image signal and first identification information which indicates the predetermined level range, the first identification information being correlated with the converted image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuru Owada
  • Patent number: 8204354
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a digital video recorder on a cable network. Signaling associated with the answering or initiation of a digital telephone call by a digital telephone subscriber is used to issue commands to a digital video recorder (DVR). A signal is generated by an MTA when the telephone is enters an “off-hook” state and sent to the DVR to initiate recording of a program being viewed by the called party. When the phone goes “on-hook”, the called party resumes watching the program from exactly where it was interrupted. The MTA may be connected directly to the VTD/DVR and the telephone state is determined by the DVR from information provided by the MTA. Alternatively, a soft switch monitors signaling from the MTA indicative of the state of the called telephone. A telephone state message comprising the telephone state information is then sent over an out-of-band channel/path to a DVR client within the VTD. The DVR client uses the telephone state information to control a DVR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Alexander, Christopher P. Williams, Kenneth Gould, David Christman
  • Patent number: 8204353
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for tracking a sequence of events associated with a digital recording device are disclosed. Example methods and apparatus read first information transmitted on a data bus in communication with a mass storage device associated with the digital recording device and identify a set of digital information to be stored on the mass storage device based at least in part on the first information. The example methods and apparatus read second information transmitted on the data bus to derive storage location information associated with the set of digital information. Additionally, the example methods and apparatus store time information together with the storage location information to generate a sequence of events record corresponding to the sequence of events associated with the digital recording device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Patent number: 8200062
    Abstract: A playback apparatus including: a Clip information read circuit 5 that reads supplementary information from a recording medium 1, which also includes a video signal, and judges based on the supplementary information whether the video signal is of a first frame frequency or of a second frame frequency; a mode setting unit 13 that sets either a continuation or non-continuation mode, the continuation mode prohibiting and the non-continuation mode allowing a switch between frame frequencies during a playback; and a 24 Hz-60 Hz conversion circuit 7 and a digital modulation circuit 9 that, if the continuation mode is set, output the obtained video signal if it is of the first frame frequency, and generate a video signal of the first frame frequency by converting the obtained video signal and output the generated video signal if the obtained video signal is of the second frame frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Itani
  • Patent number: 8195024
    Abstract: There is provided stream generating apparatus which generates a multiplexed stream including moving picture data. The apparatus includes a moving picture encoding processing section for generating a moving picture stream by encoding the moving picture data allowing switching between a reference frame rate and more than one frame rate different from the reference frame rate according to a desired timing; a time control information generating section for generating playback time control information with certain intervals corresponding to picture frame display cycles relevant to the reference frame rate, for each picture frame inputted to the moving picture encoding processing section; and a multiplexing processing section for generating the multiplexed stream by multiplexing the moving picture stream and the playback time control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Sato
  • Patent number: 8190004
    Abstract: A recording/playing device and a method for processing a broadcast signal are disclosed. The device includes an external storage device, and a broadcast receiver. The external storage device includes at least one storage medium. And, the broadcast receiver includes a broadcast processor, an interface unit, and a record/play controlling unit. The broadcast processor receives a broadcast signal of a specific channel and demodulates and decodes the received broadcast signal. The interface unit is capable of being connected to the storage medium of the external storage device. And, the record/play controlling unit activates a record/play mode, when a connection with the storage medium of the external storage device is detected through the interface unit, and stores the demodulated broadcast signal in the storage medium of the external storage device through the interface unit, or reads and plays (or plays-back) the broadcast signal from the storage medium of the external storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Kwan Hee Lee, Woo Hyun Paik
  • Patent number: 8189987
    Abstract: A digital multimedia reproducing apparatus capable of receiving and providing digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) in addition to reproducing moving pictures and music, and a DMB providing method performed in the digital multimedia reproducing apparatus, the digital multimedia reproducing apparatus including: a tuner unit to receive a digital broadcasting signal via a predetermined channel; a channel decoding unit to convert the digital broadcasting signal received from the tuner unit into a digital signal and to produce an MPEG-2 transmission stream therefrom; a decoding unit to demultiplex the MPEG-2 transmission stream to extract video data and audio data and H.264-decode the video data; and a control unit to decode the extracted audio data using bit-sliced arithmetic coding (BSAC) software and to control the decoded audio data and the video data to be output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-seok Choi, Han-sub Park
  • Patent number: 8174619
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a signal reception section configured to receive a video signal transmitted via a transmission path; an image display section configured to process the video signal to display an image; a timing information acquisition section configured to acquire timing information in connection with reception of the video signal, the timing information concerning timing that affects the image displayed by the image display section; a reference time length adjustment section configured to adjust a reference time length based on the timing information, the reference time length being used as a reference for a length of a time period from the reception of the video signal to start of image display; and a display control section configured to control timing at which the image display is started, based on the reference time length adjusted by the reference time length adjustment section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Tomimitsu
  • Publication number: 20120099829
    Abstract: An apparatus including a recording system for recording at least sound, the recording system including a microphone; a distance input adapted to have an initial distance between a source of the sound and the apparatus entered into the apparatus; and a controller connected to the microphone. The controller is configured to determine a suggested distance for a better sound recording by the recording system based, at least partially, on the initial distance input into the distance input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Inventors: Marko S. Moberg, Koray Ozcan