208552results about "Color television details" patented technology

A system, method, apparatus and computer program product for providing location based functions and mobile e-commerce comprising a central processing unit including a processor, a storage device, and programming stored in the storage device, a display device, an audio input device, an audio output device, a communications module, a commerce module, an image module, and a location module. The programming controls the operation of the present invention to provide functions based on location data, to facilitate commercial exchanges by wirelessly exchanging payment and product information with venders, to identify services such as venders meeting selection criteria, to wirelessly exchange select information with other users and systems, to restrict and / or monitor the use of the device based on authorized user parameters, selecting one of a plurality networks through which to communicate, detecting a trigger for performing an action based on a change in location and sensed data, storing a voice annotation with a computer data file, determining service providers and associated communication parameters, contemporaneously maintaining a wireless voice and data link, providing a system for selecting and delivering mobile advertisements, and many other functions and services that are described herein.

An interactive television program guide system based on multiple user television equipment devices in a single household is provided. The system provides a user with an opportunity to adjust program guide settings with a given one of the interactive television program guides. The system coordinates the operation of the interactive television program guides so that the program guide settings that were adjusted with the given interactive television program guide are used by the other interactive television program guides. Program guide setting include features related to setting program reminders, profiles, program recording features, messaging features, favorites features, parental control features, program guide set up features (e.g., audio and video and language settings), etc. The operation of applications such as web browser applications, home shopping applications, home banking applications, game applications, etc. may also be coordinated.

A comprehensive, wireless multimedia surveillance and monitoring system provides a combination of megapixel digital camera capability with full motion video surveillance with a network, including network components and appliances such as wiring, workstations, and servers with the option of geographical distribution with various wide area carriers. The full service, multi-media surveillance system is capable of a wide range of monitoring techniques utilizing digital network architecture and is adapted for transmitting event data, video and / or image monitoring information, audio signals and other sensor and detector data over significant distances using digital data transmission over a LAN, wireless LAN, Intranet or Internet for automatic assessment and response including dispatch of response personnel. Both wired and wireless appliance and sensor systems may be employed. GPS dispatching is used to locate and alert personnel as well as to indicate the location of an event. Automatic mapping and dispatch permits rapid response. The wireless LAN connectivity permits local distribution of audio, video and image data over a relatively high bandwidth without requirement of a license and without relying on a common carrier and the fees associated therewith. The surveillance system may be interfaced with a WAN (wide area Network) or the Internet for providing a worldwide, low cost surveillance system with virtually unlimited geographic application. Centralized monitoring stations have access to all of the surveillance data from various remote locations via the Internet or the WAN. A server provides a centralized location for data collection, alarm detection and processing, access control, dispatch processing, logging functions and other specialized functions. The server may be inserted virtually anywhere in the Intranet / Internet network. The topology of the network will be established by the geographic situation of the installation. Appropriate firewalls may be set up as desired. The server based system permits a security provider to have access to the appliance and sensor and surveillance data or to configure or reconfigure the system for any station on the network.

A distributed electronic entertainment method and apparatus are described. In one embodiment, a central management resource is coupled to multiple out-of-home venues through a wide area network (WAN). The central management resource stores content and performs management, monitoring and entertainment content delivery functions. At each venue at least one entertainment unit is coupled to the WAN. Multiple entertainment units in a venue are coupled to each other through a local area network (LAN). In one embodiment, an entertainment unit includes a user interface that comprises at least one graphical user interface (GUI). The entertainment unit further comprises a local memory device that stores entertainment content comprising music, a peripheral interface, and a user input device. A plurality of peripheral devices are coupled to the at least one entertainment unit via the peripheral interface, wherein a user, through the user input device and the user interface, performs at least one activity from a group comprising, playing music, playing electronic games, viewing television content, and browsing the Internet.

PCT No. PCT / US95 / 15429 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 24, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 24, 1997 PCT Filed Nov. 29, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96 / 17467 PCT Pub. Date Jun. 6, 1996A system and method for scheduling the receipt of desired movies and other forms of data from a network, which simultaneously distributes many sources of such data to many customers, as in a cable television system. Customer profiles are developed for the recipient describing how important certain characteristics of the broadcast video program, movie, or other data are to each customer. From these profiles, an "agreement matrix" is calculated by comparing the recipient's profiles to the actual profiles of the characteristics of the available video programs, movies, or other data. The agreement matrix thus characterizes the attractiveness of each video program, movie, or other data to each prospective customer. "Virtual" channels are generated from the agreement matrix to produce a series of video or data programming which will provide the greatest satisfaction to each customer. Feedback paths are also provided so that the customer's profiles and / or the profiles of the video programs or other data may be modified to reflect actual usage, and so that the data downloaded to the customer's set top terminal may be minimized. Kiosks are also developed which assist customers in the selection of videos, music, books, and the like in accordance with the customer's objective profiles.

Documents and other items can be delivered electronically from sender to recipient with a level of trustedness approaching or exceeding that provided by a personal document courier. A trusted electronic go-between can validate, witness and / or archive transactions while, in some cases, actively participating in or directing the transaction. Printed or imaged documents can be marked using handwritten signature images, seal images, electronic fingerprinting, watermarking, and / or steganography. Electronic commercial transactions and transmissions take place in a reliable, "trusted" virtual distribution environment that provides significant efficiency and cost savings benefits to users in addition to providing an extremely high degree of confidence and trustedness. The systems and techniques have many uses including but not limited to secure document delivery, execution of legal documents, and electronic data interchange (EDI).

A head mounted device provides an immersive virtual or augmented reality experience for viewing data and enabling collaboration among multiple users. Rendering images in a virtual or augmented reality system may include capturing an image and spatial data with a body mounted camera and sensor array, receiving an input indicating a first anchor surface, calculating parameters with respect to the body mounted camera and displaying a virtual object such that the virtual object appears anchored to the selected first anchor surface. Further operations may include receiving a second input indicating a second anchor surface within the captured image that is different from the first anchor surface, calculating parameters with respect to the second anchor surface and displaying the virtual object such that the virtual object appears anchored to the selected second anchor surface and moved from the first anchor surface.

An apparatus for processing digital media signals, comprising a digital processor for controlling the apparatus; a graphic user interface, having a wireless remote control providing a command input to the processor; a network interface for transmitting digital information from the processor to a remote location over a communications network, the information identifying a digital media signal for desired reproduction based, at least in part, on an input received from the remote control; and an output, controlled by, and local to, the processor, for transferring the desired digital media signals for reproduction thereof.

A method of generating an object oriented interactive multimedia file, including encoding data comprising at least one of video, text, audio, music and / or graphics elements as a video packet stream, text packet stream, audio packet stream, music packet stream and / or graphics packet stream respectively, combining the packet streams into a single self-contained object, said object containing its own control information, placing a plurality of the objects in a data stream, and grouping one or more of the data streams in a single contiguous self-contained scene, the scene including format definition as the initial packet in a sequence of packets. An encoder for executing the method is provided together with a player or decoder for parsing and decoding the file, which can be wirelessly streamed to a portable computer device, such as a mobile phone or a PDA. The object controls provide rendering and interactive controls for objects allowing users to control dynamic media composition, such as dictating the shape and content of interleaved video objects, and control the objects received.

An interactive television application is used to provide search results to a user. The user is provided with an opportunity to indicate a desire to search for programs. In response, the interactive television application generates search criteria and searches for programs. The search results that are displayed to the user include mosaic listings associated with programs that match the search criteria. In some embodiments, the interactive television application displays the mosaic listings in a manner that accentuates the different levels of relevance of the search results to the search criteria.

Streaming compressed digital hypervideo received upon a digital communications network is decoded (decompressed) and played in a client-computer-based "video on web VCR" software system. Scene changes, if not previously marked upstream, are automatically detected, and typically twenty-one past scenes are displayed as thumbnail images. Hyperlinks within the main video scene, and / or any thumbnail image, show as hotspots, with text annotations typically appearing upon a cursor "mouse over". All hyperlinks-as are provided and inserted by, inter alia, the upstream network service provider (the "ISP")-may be, and preferably are, full-custom dynamically-resolved to each subscriber / user / viewer ("SUV") upon volitional "click throughs" by the SUV, including retrospectively on past hypervideo scenes as appear within the thumbnail images. Hyperlinking permits (i) retrieving information and commercials, including streaming video / hypervideo, from any of local storage, a network (or Internet) service provider ("ISP"), a network content provider, and / or an advertiser network site, (ii) entering a contest of skill or a lottery of chance, (iii) gambling, (iv) buying (and less often, selling), (v) responding to a survey, and expressing an opinion, and / or (vi) sounding an alert.

A system and method for scheduling the receipt of desired movies and other forms of data from a network which simultaneously distributes many sources of such data to many customers, as in a cable television system. Customer profiles are developed for the recipient describing how important certain characteristics of the broadcast video program, movie or other data are to each customer. From these profiles, an "agreement matrix" is calculated by comparing the recipient's profiles to the actual profiles of the characteristics of the available video programs, movies, or other data. The agreement matrix thus characterizes the attractiveness of each video program, movie, or other data to each prospective customer. "Virtual" channels are generated from the agreement matrix to produce a series of video or data programming which will provide the greatest satisfaction to each customer. Feedback paths are also provided so that the customer's profiles and / or the profiles of the video programs or other data may be modified to reflect actual usage. Kiosks are also developed which assist customers in the selection of videos, music, books, and the like in accordance with the customer's objective profiles.

A remote control for operating a consumer electronic device. The remote control device may comprise a housing providing a mounting for a visual display and a keyboard including a plurality of keys; electrical circuitry in the housing including a microprocessor, at least one of an IR or RF receiver circuit coupled to the microprocessor, keyboard circuitry coupled between the microprocessor and the keyboard, a memory coupled to the microprocessor, and at least one of an IR or RF transmitter circuit coupled to the microprocessor. Program guide software is stored in the memory and executable by the microprocessor for causing to be displayed on the visual display, upon actuation of one or more of the keys, a program guide, advertising and / or other content contained in a data set received by the receiver.

An endoscope system comprises a scope and a processor. The scope has an imaging sensor, a first image-processing unit that performs primary image processing, a first memory, and a second memory. The first and second memories are non-volatile. The processor has a second image-processing unit that performs secondary image processing, and a processor memory that is non-volatile. The first memory stores an system data that includes parameters for the primary and secondary image processing. The processor memory stores the system data. The second memory is used for storing the system data stored in the processor memory when it is determined that the system data stored in the first memory is older than the system data stored in the processor memory. The system data stored in the second memory is overwritten onto the first scope memory after the system data is stored in the second memory.

A portable intra-oral capture and display system, designed for use by a dental practitioner in connection with a patient seated in a dental chair, includes: a handpiece elongated for insertion into an oral cavity of the patient, where the handpiece includes a light emitter on a distal end thereof for illuminating an object in the cavity and an image sensor for capturing an image of the object and generating an image signal therefrom; a monitor interconnected with the handpiece, where the monitor contains electronics for processing the image for display and a display element for displaying the image, where the interconnection between the monitor and the handpiece includes an electrical connection for communicating the image signal from the image sensor in the camera to the electronics in the monitor; and a receptacle on the dental chair for receiving the monitor, wherein the receptacle conforms to the monitor such that the monitor may be withdrawn from the receptacle in order to allow the display element to be seen by the dental practitioner or the patient.

An interactive display table has a display surface for displaying images and upon or adjacent to which various objects, including a user's hand(s) and finger(s) can be detected. A video camera within the interactive display table responds to infrared (IR) light reflected from the objects to detect any connected components. Connected component correspond to portions of the object(s) that are either in contact, or proximate the display surface. Using these connected components, the interactive display table senses and infers natural hand or finger positions, or movement of an object, to detect gestures. Specific gestures are used to execute applications, carryout functions in an application, create a virtual object, or do other interactions, each of which is associated with a different gesture. A gesture can be a static pose, or a more complex configuration, and / or movement made with one or both hands or other objects.

The invention comprises a wireless camera apparatus and system for automatic capture and delivery of digital image “messages” to a remote system at a predefined destination address. Initial transmission occurs via a wireless network, and the apparatus process allows the simultaneous capture of new messages while transmissions are occurring. The destination address may correspond to an e-mail account, or may correspond to a remote server from which the image and data can be efficiently processed and / or further distributed. In the latter case, data packaged with the digital message is used to control processing of the message at the server, based on a combination of pre-defined system and user options. Secured Internet access to the server allows flexible user access to system parameters for configuration of message handling and distribution options, including the option to build named distribution lists which are downloaded to the wireless camera. For example, configuration data specified on the server may be downloaded to the wireless camera to allow users to quickly specify storage and distribution options for each message, such as archival for later retrieval, forwarding to recipients in a distribution list group, and / or immediate presentation to a monitoring station for analysis and follow-up. The apparatus and system is designed to provide quick and simple digital image capture and delivery for business and personal use.

A system for automatically setting video signal processing parameters for an endoscopic video camera system based upon characteristics of an attached endoscope, with reduced EMI and improved inventory tracking, maintenance and quality assurance, and reducing the necessity for adjustment and alignment of the endoscope and camera to achieve the data transfer.

A device for managing image and audio files displays thumbnails, which are representative of the files, on a screen in different arrangements, depending on the selected layout and order. When the user enters input to indicates that he or she wishes to browse through the thumbnails, the thumbnails move across the screen in sequence, following a path through a focus outline in the center of the screen. The path followed by the thumbnails depends on the selected layout.

A multimedia production and distribution system collects or assembles a media production (such as, a news program, television programming, or radio broadcast) from a variety of sources, including television stations and other media hosting facilities. The media production is categorized and indexed for retrieval and distribution across a wired or wireless network, such as the Internet, to any client, such as a personal computer, television, or personal digital assistant. A user can operate the client to display and interact with the media production, or select various options to customize the transmission or request a standard program. Alternatively, the user can establish a template to generate the media production automatically based on personal preferences. The media production is displayed on the client with various media enhancements to add value to the media production. Such enhancements include graphics, extended play segments, opinion research, and URLs. The enhancements also include advertisements, such as commercials, active banners, and sponsorship buttons. An advertisement reporting system monitors the sale and distribution of advertisements within the network. The advertisements are priced according to factors that measure the likelihood of an advertisement actually being presented or viewed by users most likely to purchase the advertised item or service. The advertisement reporting system also collects metrics to invoice and apportion income derived from the advertisements among the network participants, including a portal host and / or producer of the content.

Various corporate, industry, and regulatory guidelines, best practices and standards are used in establishing acceptable levels of accuracy for volume dimensioning systems used in commerce. A volume dimensioning system can determine at least one distortion value that is indicative of an amount of distortion present in the system and responsive to the amount of distortion, autonomously alter or adjust the units of accuracy of information reported by the system. Such alteration or adjustment of units of accuracy may be performed based on an assessment of the distortion relative to a number of distortion thresholds. Responsive to the assessment, the volume dimensioning system can adjust a unit of accuracy in a representation of volume dimensioning related information.

A system and method of estimating the body shape of an individual from input data such as images or range maps. The body may appear in one or more poses captured at different times and a consistent body shape is computed for all poses. The body may appear in minimal tight-fitting clothing or in normal clothing wherein the described method produces an estimate of the body shape under the clothing. Clothed or bare regions of the body are detected via image classification and the fitting method is adapted to treat each region differently. Body shapes are represented parametrically and are matched to other bodies based on shape similarity and other features. Standard measurements are extracted using parametric or non-parametric functions of body shape. The system components support many applications in body scanning, advertising, social networking, collaborative filtering and Internet clothing shopping.