17223results about "Picture reproducers using cathode ray tubes" patented technology

A remote controlled robot with a head that supports a monitor and is coupled to a mobile platform. The mobile robot also includes an auxiliary camera coupled to the mobile platform by a boom. The mobile robot is controlled by a remote control station. By way of example, the robot can be remotely moved about an operating room. The auxiliary camera extends from the boom so that it provides a relatively close view of a patient or other item in the room. An assistant in the operating room may move the boom and the camera. The boom may be connected to a robot head that can be remotely moved by the remote control station.

A color mapping process enhances a watermark by computing a change in colors that is less visible for a given watermark strength. The mapping process provides smooth transitions from one color region to another, and may be implemented efficiently with a 3D look up table. A user interface scheme enables the user to control encoding of the watermark in desired color regions.

A moving image brightness variation compensation method for encoding digital moving images for transmission and storage, and for image processing when editing moving images, the moving image brightness variation compensation method comprising a step of compensating for overall brightness variations by correcting a luminance value x of each pixel according to the formula DC.x+DB, wherein DB is a parameter indicating a gain change and DC is a parameter indicating a contrast change, the parameters representing overall luminance changes between a reference image plane and an image plane being processed.

A multimedia telecommunication automatic call distribution center which allows access to the call center via a plurality of access means, including telephone and data networks to provide simultaneous voice, data, and video access, and ensures effective transparent spreading of agents over different geographical locations. The automatic call distribution center of the present invention uses a multimedia automatic call distribution server acting as connection manager for data network callers and provides for automatic caller identification.

A system and method for improving the coding efficiency of motion vector information in video coding. According to various embodiments, a list of motion vector predictor candidates is arranged according to predefined rules. Each motion vector also has a reference index associated with it. One of the motion vector candidates is then selected as a predictor based on predefined rules, or the selection is explicitly signaled in the bitstream. The reference index associated with the selected motion vector is used as a reference index for the current block. The reference index is predicted along with the motion vector. Such embodiments can improve the compression efficiency of modern video codecs.

A video detection and monitoring method and apparatus utilizes an application-specific object based segmentation and recognition system for locating and tracking an object of interest within a number of sequential frames of data collected by a video camera or similar device. One embodiment includes a background modeling and object segmentation module to isolate from a current frame at least one segment of the current frame containing a possible object of interest, and a classification module adapted to determine whether or not any segment of the output from the background modeling apparatus includes an object of interest and to characterize any such segment as an object segment. An object segment tracking apparatus is adapted to track the location within a current frame of any object segment and to determine a projected location of the object segment in a subsequent frame.

To achieve an image encoding apparatus that has extensibility by not limiting an image to be referenced, and that can reduce processing time satisfactorily if the processing of an ordinary frame is skipped, the apparatus of the present invention comprises: motion detecting means for detecting a motion vector for each block of a prescribed size from a reference image and an input image; weighted motion-compensation means for, based on the detected motion vector, extracting from the reference image an area of a prescribed size which is wider than the prescribed block size and which contains an area corresponding to each block of the input image, and for creating a predicted image for the input image by applying a predetermined weight to each of pixels in the wider area and by using the weighted pixels of the wider area; a predicted-image memory for storing the predicted image; encoding means for taking a residual between the stored predicted image and the input image, and for encoding the residual; and decoding means for decoding the encoded image data and thereby obtaining a reference image.

A foveated imaging system, which can be implemented on a general purpose computer and greatly reduces the transmission bandwidth of images has been developed. This system has demonstrated that significant reductions in bandwidth can be achieved while still maintaining access to high detail at any point in an image. The system is implemented with conventional computer, display, and camera hardware. It utilizes novel algorithms for image coding and decoding that are superior both in degree of compression and in perceived image quality and is more flexible and adaptable to different bandwidth requirements and communications applications than previous systems. The system utilizes novel methods of incorporating human perceptual properties into the coding the decoding algorithms providing superior foveation. One version of the system includes a simple, inexpensive, parallel pipeline architecture, which enhances the capability for conventional and foveated data compression. Included are novel applications of foveated imaging in the transmission of pre-recorded video (without eye tracking), and in the use of alternate pointing devices for foveation.

A graphical user interface (“GUI”) for a content management system is provided, such as to present information associated with various forms of multimedia content. In some situations, the GUI includes information presented simultaneously using at least first and second time scales, such as to provide relatively detailed information for content corresponding to a shorter time scale (e.g., to display content listings with details about content that corresponds to a time period at the shorter time scale) and to provide relatively limited information for content corresponding to a longer time scale (e.g., indications of other content of potential interest corresponding to times outside the time period of the shorter time scale). In addition, in some situations the relatively limited information for content corresponding to the longer time scale may be selectable by the user to provide various functionality related to that content.

The present invention discloses methods of digitally converting 2D motion pictures or any other 2D image sequences to stereoscopic 3D image data for 3D exhibition. In one embodiment, various types of image data cues can be collected from 2D source images by various methods and then used for producing two distinct stereoscopic 3D views. Embodiments of the disclosed methods can be implemented within a highly efficient system comprising both software and computing hardware. The architectural model of some embodiments of the system is equally applicable to a wide range of conversion, re-mastering and visual enhancement applications for motion pictures and other image sequences, including converting a 2D motion picture or a 2D image sequence to 3D, re-mastering a motion picture or a video sequence to a different frame rate, enhancing the quality of a motion picture or other image sequences, or other conversions that facilitate further improvement in visual image quality within a projector to produce the enhanced images.

A method for effectively implementing a multi-room television system includes a digital base station that processes and combines various program sources to produce a processed stream. A communications processor then responsively transmits the processed stream as a local composite output stream to various wired and wireless display devices for flexible viewing at variable remote locations. The transmission path performance is used to determine the video encoding process, and special attention is taken to assure that all users have low-latency interactive capabilities.

Metadata for splicing of an encoded digital motion video stream (such as an MPEG Transport Stream) is prepared in real time while recording at the encoding bit rate and faster than encoded bit rate for off line encoding independent of the bit rate and mechanisms for ingestion of the data stream into data storage. Preprocessing is performed during a metered file transfer protocol (FTP) and includes pseudo real-time encoding. The preprocessing includes Group of Pictures (GOP) level pre-processing of splicing In Points and results in an intimate linkage between metadata and the file system in which the video data is stored. The preferred file system enables access to metadata in parallel to writing the data on disk. The pre-processing is performed simultaneous to writing the data to the disk using a carousel type buffer mechanism.

A fully digital camera system provides high-resolution still image and streaming video signals via a network to a centralized, server supported security and surveillance system. The digital camera for collects an image from one or more image transducers, compressing the image and sending the compressed digital image signal to a receiving station over a digital network. A plurality of image transducers or sensors may be included in a single camera unit, providing array imaging such as full 360 degree panoramic imaging, universal or spherical imaging and field imaging by stacking or arranging the sensors in an array. The multiple images are then compressed and merged at the camera in the desired format to permit transmission of the least amount of data to accomplish the desired image transmission. The camera also employs, or connects to, a variety of sensors other than the traditional image sensor. Sensors for fire, smoke, sound, glass breakage, motion, panic buttons, and the like, may be embedded in or connected to the camera. Data captured by these sensors may be digitized, compressed, and networked to detect notable conditions. An internal microphone and associated signal processing system may be equipped with suitable signal processing algorithms for the purpose of detecting suitable acoustic events and their location. In addition, the camera is equipped with a pair of externally accessible terminals where an external sensor may be connected. In addition, the camera may be equipped with a short-range receiver that may detect the activation of a wireless ‘panic button’ carried by facility personnel. This ‘panic button’ may employ infrared, radio frequency (RF), ultrasonic, or other suitable methods to activate the camera's receiver.

Motion estimation of a macro block in inter16×16, inter16×8, and inter8×16 modes is performed and a determination of whether to further perform motion estimation in a P8×8 mode is made. Motion estimation in P8×8 mode is either omitted or performed and one mode is determined according to a rate distortion cost of the respective modes. Spatial prediction encoding may then be performed or omitted based on comparing the rate distortion cost of the one mode with a predetermined value. Accordingly, by selectively omitting variable block motion estimation and spatial prediction encoding which are the most complicated operations in an H.264 encoder, determining an encoding mode is rapidly performed such that encoding speed increases.

An improved audio-visual circuit is provided that includes a transport packet parsing circuit for receiving a transport data packet stream, a CPU circuit for initializing said integrated circuit and for processing portions of said data packet stream, a ROM circuit for storing data, a RAM circuit for storing data, an audio decoder circuit for decoding audio portions of said data packet stream, a video decoder circuit for decoding video portions of said data packet stream, an NTSC / PAL encoding circuit for encoding video portions of said data packet stream, an OSD coprocessor circuit for processing OSD portions of said data packets, a traffic controller circuit moving portions of said data packet stream between portions of said integrated circuit, an extension bus interface circuit, a P1394 interface circuit, a communication coprocessors circuit, an address bus connected to said circuits, and a data bus connected to said circuits.

A three-dimensional television system includes an acquisition stage, a display stage and a transmission network. The acquisition stage includes multiple video cameras configured to acquire input videos of a dynamically changing scene in real-time. The display stage includes a three-dimensional display unit configured to concurrently display output videos generated from the input videos. The transmission network connects the acquisition stage to the display stage.

A viewer of television programming is alerted to the availability of content related to the programming (e.g. an associated Internet web page) by an icon momentarily displayed on the screen. Using a remote control, the viewer can select the icon. A control panel then appears, superimposed over the television image, and provides additional detail about the related content. By further operating the remote control, the viewer can select the associated content for viewing, or return to watching the television. Various other features and variations are disclosed.

A moving picture variable bit rate coding apparatus receives digitized moving pictures and subjects them to coding according to a variable bit rate method using real time processing in response to the input of the pictures. The apparatus performs variable bit rate coding in real time by sequentially performing blocking, conversion processing, quantization processing, and generation of bit streams in response to the input of digitized moving picture data, and setting a quantization scale used for quantization corresponding to a quantity of generated bit streams to perform coding processing and control of quantization in parallel.

When selecting a television program for recording, a user may configure the delivery of the selected television program and associated data and interactive applications to different user equipment devices in a home network, which may have different capabilities. Because the user equipment devices in the home network may have different capabilities, the user may wish to deliver different types and amount of content, different amounts of data, and different versions of interactive applications to the user equipment devices in the home network.

A video frame arithmetical context adaptive encoding and decoding scheme is presented which is based on the finding, that, for sake of a better definition of neighborhood between blocks of picture samples, i.e. the neighboring block which the syntax element to be coded or decoded relates to and the current block based on the attribute of which the assignment of a context model is conducted, and when the neighboring block lies beyond the borders or circumference of the current macroblock containing the current block, it is important to make the determination of the macroblock containing the neighboring block dependent upon as to whether the current macroblock pair region containing the current block is of a first or a second distribution type, i.e., frame or field coded.

FIG. 1 shows a light airplane with the installed invention comprising: an Electronic Rear-view Mirror Component (100) in the cockpit usable by the pilot or co-pilot from the adjustment of twin mechanical arms, a Video Local Area Network (V-LAN) Component (3000), several Bug-Eye Sensor Components (2000) for the front-video camera (2004), rear video camera (2008), right video camera (2012), and left video camera (2016), and a Crash Prevention Recorder (CPR) Component (4000).

A data compression system and method for that is capable of detecting and eliminating repeated phrases of variable length within a window of virtually unlimited size.

A low latency streaming system provides a stateless protocol between a client and server with reduced latency. The server embeds incremental information in media fragments that eliminates the usage of a typical control channel. In addition, the server provides uniform media fragment responses to media fragment requests, thereby allowing existing Internet cache infrastructure to cache streaming media data. Each fragment has a distinguished Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that allows the fragment to be identified and cached by both Internet cache servers and the client's browser cache. The system reduces latency using various techniques, such as sending fragments that contain less than a full group of pictures (GOP), encoding media without dependencies on subsequent frames, and by allowing clients to request subsequent frames with only information about previous frames.

Disclosed is a system for allowing on-demand delivery of data, such as MPEG-2 compressed video data, to a subscriber from a content server. The system utilizes a managed IP network that is coupled to the one or more content servers that allows the content servers to deliver data such as video, audio, and textual data with a guaranteed quality of service that is at least as good as broadcast quality service. The managed IP network is connected to a head end or other local cable service provider where video is delivered locally to subscribers. The IP transport data is translated to MPEG transport data, multiplexed onto an MPEG transport system, digitally modulated onto an rf carrier and up-converted to a specific frequency channel. The signal is then applied to the cable for delivery to the subscriber. Upstream signaling occurs through a set top box or computer that is connected to the cable and subsequently to a digital modulator / demodulator and ISP to a managed IP network 66. Low band signals can also be transmitted from the content servers back to the set top box or computer indicating confirmation of an order. Also, control signals such as stop, rewind, fast-forward, and slow can be transmitted back to the content server to control the transmission of data from the content server to the subscriber.