316results about "Time or data compression/expansion" patented technology

An audio converter device and a method for using the same are provided. In one embodiment, the audio converter device receives the digital audio data from a first device via a local area network. The audio converter device decompresses the digital audio data and converts the digital audio data into analog electrical data. The audio converter device transfers the analog electrical data to an audio playback device.

The present invention has an objective of providing an optical disk having a high resolution picture and a system for reproducing data on the optical disk, which are compatible with a conventional system for reproducing an ordinary resolution picture. A high resolution signal is divided into a main signal and a sub signal by picture division means and MPEG-encoded. The main signal and the sub signal are divided into frames each having 1 GOP or more. The resultant first interleave block 54 and second interleave block 55 are recorded alternately on an optical disk. A high resolution reproduction apparatus reproduced both the first and second interleave blocks, so that a high resolution picture is obtained. A non-high resolution reproduction apparatus reproduces only the first or second interleave block, so that an ordinary resolution picture.

The present disclosure teaches a method and apparatus for allowing a user to select and view one or multiple programs at random whenever he desires and to suspend viewing in the middle of a program to accommodate an interruption and to continue viewing after the interruption without missing any of the program. In addition, previously stored programs may be viewed at accelerated or decelerated speed, or repeated or portions reviewed, to allow the user to review such in other than real time.

The invention enables the inclusion of voice and remaining audio information at different parts of the audio production process. In particular, the invention embodies special techniques for VRA-capable digital mastering, accommodation of PCPV / PCA and / or SCRA signals in audio CODECs, VRA-capable encoders and decoders, and VRA in DVD and other digital audio file formats. The invention facilitates an end-listener's voice-to-remaining audio (VRA) adjustment upon the playback of digital audio media formats by focusing on new configurations of multiple parts of the entire digital audio system, thereby enabling a new technique intended to benefit audio end-users (end-listeners) who wish to control the ratio of the primary vocal / dialog content of an audio program relative to the remaining portion of the audio content in that program. The invention facilitates storage of VRA audio programs on optical storage media, authoring systems for VRA-capable DVDs, playback hardware integrated into VRA-capable optical disc apparatus, and VRA playback hardware for use with non-VRA capable optical disc playback apparatus.

For use in a storage network comprising a plurality of network elements and operable with a block mode access storage protocol, a method of operating a compression system operatively coupled to at least one computer and to one or more storage devices configured as at least one storage logical unit accommodating data compressed by the compression system, the computer, the storage devices and the compression system are configured as separate network elements. According to the method, the compression system is configured to hold a virtual logical unit, the virtual logical unit is configured to virtually represent in non-compressed form the compressed data stored in the at least one storage logical unit. The size of the virtual logical unit corresponds to an estimated size of raw data which, being compressed, would substantially amount to a size of the storage logical unit. The method includes intercepting one or more data access-related requests from the at least one computer addressed to said storage logical unit, addressing the requests to the virtual logical unit, and facilitating mapping between the compressed data and their virtual representation at the virtual logical unit.

A method and system for creating, reading and writing compressed files for use with a file access storage. The compressed data of a raw file are packed into a plurality of compressed units and stored as compressed files. One or more corresponding compressed units may be read and / or updated with no need for restoring the entire file whilst maintaining de-fragmented structure of the compressed file.

An audio converter device and a method for using the same are provided. In one embodiment, the audio converter device receives the digital audio data from a first device via a local area network. The audio converter device decompresses the digital audio data and converts the digital audio data into analog electrical data. The audio converter device transfers the analog electrical data to an audio playback device.

The present invention involves a digital audio player and a method for processing encoded digital audio data, wherein the digital audio data is encoded using one of a plurality of encoding formats. The audio data player has a hard disk or other data storage medium for storing data files, a microcontroller, buffer memory for anti-skip protection, and an audio decoder. The encoded audio data files and associated decoder files are downloaded from a personal computer or similar device to the audio data player hard drive. The player provides a menu-driven user interface for selection, sorting, and playback of stored audio data files. During playback, elapsed playback time is computed and displayed. For variable bit-rate audio data files, the audio data player generates an elapsed playback timekeeping map concurrently with playback and fast forward scan of audio data files. Concurrently with playback, forward scan, and reverse scan of the audio data file, the audio data player determines the compression ratio for each data portion traversed, and calculates a playback time for each data portion traversed.

A controller for use with laptop and notebook digital computers for reproducing compressed digital audio and video files. The controller includes a drive interface for traversing and accessing data stored on a drive of a computer system. Function keys or a remote controller permit users to access drives containing desired data. The selected data is read from the drive. A decoder circuit parses the data into audio data and video data and decodes each set of data to generate a decoded audio data stream or video data stream. The audio data stream can be converted to an analog signal by the controller, or sent to an external ADC of the computer system. Advantageously, the controller operates when the computer system is in an inactive state, for example in power saving mode or OFF, and operates in passthrough or bypass mode when the computer system is ON or active.

An apparatus and method for recording and reproducing a sound (i.e. audio) signal corresponding to a video signal at a higher than normal speed. The method delimits a sound signal reproduced at a recording medium at a speed higher than a normal speed into successive processing unit periods. For each processing unit period, sound absence portion(s) of the reproduced sound signal are deleted (or partially deleted) within a range corresponding to a normal speed reproduction. Sound presence portions preceding and following the deleted absence portions are joined or compressed to produce a recognizable sound signal.

An encoding method for producing specific encoded data by calculating the data occupancy of a decoding buffer memory of a particular size that is used when decoding the encoded data during reproduction, defining the allocated code size of a particular period based on the calculation result, and compression coding the signal of a particular period to the allocated code size. The data occupancy is calculated on the assumption that virtual encoded data is transferred to the decoding buffer memory following the transfer of the first-encoded data to the decoding buffer memory. The data occupancy when the last data in the first encoded data is decoded is calculated as the final buffer occupancy Be. The data occupancy when the encoding process producing the second encoded data is begun is an initial buffer occupancy Bi where the initial buffer occupancy Bi is less than the final buffer occupancy Be, and thus allocated code size is defined based on the change in the data occupancy.