Thomson Licensing

Thomson Licensing Dtv

Thomson Research Funding Corporation

Alan Jay Stein

Jiwang Dai

Jill MacDonald Boyce

Hua Yang

Gad Moshe Berger

Zhenyu Wu

Glenn Lawrence Cash

David Brian Anderson

Zhengye Liu

Adarsh Golikeri

John Qiang Li

Tao Liu

Jill Mac Donald Boyce

A method and apparatus are provided for predictive frame selection supporting enhanced efficiency and subjective quality. The apparatus includes an encoder for encoding a picture using a selection scheme that selects between encoding the picture as a single direction inter predictive picture type and a bi-directional inter predictive picture type based on coding efficiency and a determination of a flickering artifact resulting from coding the picture as the bi-directional inter predictive picture type.

Method and apparatus for predictive frame selection supporting enhanced efficiency and subjective quality

A method and system are performed by a processor of an audio-visual device according to instructions stored in a memory of that device that determines identity of a content medium based upon attributes associated with it and a set of user-defined settings associated with the content medium. The processor identifies a set of source-defined settings for configuring the device and selects one set of user-defined settings or the set of source-defined settings for configuring the audio-visual device. In addition, the processor determines if preexisting attributes exist that if it has to override the set of user-defined settings. It then configures one of the set of user-defined or overrides the settings. All channels from a particular network provider utilize the same set of user-defined settings, including channels that have not been visited by a user and future channels that have not yet been created.

Automatic custom settings for an audio-video device

Detection of errors in a video stream occurs by calculating an error detection code, such as a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) code over a group of not more than N macroblocks in a slice of the stream prior and after transmission, where N is an integer greater than zero but less than the total number of macroblocks in the slice. A comparison of the error detection codes reveals whether any errors exist in the group of macroblocks. If the group has no errors, normal decoding occurs. If the macroblock group has an error, then the macroblock group, and the remaining blocks in the slice undergo error concealment.

Video error detection technique using a CRC parity code

A system and method for adjusting the depth or view of three dimensional (3D) images in streaming video is provided. The invention enables the 3D streaming video client to change among different 3D disparities without any knowledge of the disparity maps or requiring any image processing at the client. Multiple versions of the video sequence are pre-encoded with each version representing a different disparity. The disparity of the 3D image may be changed on-the-fly to a selected rendering of a particular disparity. The 3D video player may switch among disparities seamlessly during playback.

Method for adjusting depth or view of three-dimensional streaming video

A method for accurately measuring flicker, by first determining an original value based on a difference between pixel values in corresponding locations in a first picture and a second picture. Next, a reconstructed value is determined, based on a difference between pixel values in corresponding locations in a reconstruction from an encoding of the first picture and a reconstruction from an encoding of the second picture. Then, a determination is made to include a comparison value, which is determined on a difference between the reconstructed value and the original value, in a measurement of flicker between the first picture and the second picture.

Method for measuring flicker

A system and method for recovering from data loss are described including monitoring a first bit rate video data bit stream to determine if there is frame loss or damage, multiplexing decoding parameters of a second bit rate video data bit stream, the second bit rate video data bit stream and the first bit rate video data bit stream, if there is frame loss or damage, demultiplexing the first bit rate video data bit stream and the second bit rate video data bit stream, decoding the first bit rate video data bit stream, removing damaged frames from the first bit rate video data bit stream, decoding the second bit rate video data bit stream, up-sampling frames from said processed second bit rate video data bit stream if said processed second bit rate video data bit stream has a lower resolution than said processed first bit rate video data bit stream and merging frames from the second bit rate video data bit stream and the first bit rate video data bit stream.

Video data loss recovery using low bit rate stream in an IPTV system

A digital A/V apparatus provides reduced channel changes times and maintains synchronization between audio and video content during a channel change event. According to an exemplary embodiment, the digital A/V apparatus includes at least one signal receiver for receiving a first audio stream, a first video stream and a second video stream, wherein the first and second video streams represent the same program and the first video stream has at least one characteristic different from the second video stream; a first audio signal processor for processing the first audio stream to generate a first processed audio stream; a first video signal processor for processing the first video stream to generate a first processed video stream; a second video signal processor for processing the second video stream to generate a second processed video stream having a delay with respect to the first processed video stream; a first buffer for buffering the first processed audio stream to provide de-jittering; a renderer for rendering the first processed audio stream and the second processed video stream in response to a channel change command; a switch for switching from the second processed video stream to the first processed video stream after the renderer begins rendering the second processed video stream, and thereby causing the renderer to begin rendering the first processed video stream; and whereby synchronization between the first processed audio stream and the first processed video stream is maintained during a channel change event.

Method for reducing channel change times and synchronizing audio/video content during channel change

A digital video apparatus provides reduced channel change times. According to an exemplary embodiment, the digital video apparatus includes at least one receiver for receiving first and second video streams representing the same program, wherein the first video stream has at least one characteristic different from the second video stream; a first signal processor for processing the first video stream to generate a first processed video stream; a second signal processor for processing the second video stream to generate a second processed video stream having a delay with respect to the first processed video stream; a renderer for rendering the second processed video stream responsive to a channel change command; and a switch for switching from the second processed video stream to the first processed video stream after the renderer begins rendering the second processed video stream, and thereby causing the renderer to begin rendering the first processed video stream.

Methods for reducing channel change times in a digital video apparatus

A method and apparatus are described including receiving a coded packet of content associated with a layer, receiving feedback information regarding channel conditions and applying hybrid automatic repeat request to deliver the packet based on said feedback information. The method and apparatus wherein applying hybrid automatic repeat request layer-wise further includes determining if a resource is exhausted, scheduling delivery of layered coded content packets for a layer, if the resource has not been exhausted, determining if all layered coded content packets for the layer have been transmitted, proceeding to the first determining step, if all layered coded content packets for a layer have not been transmitted, determining if an acknowledgement message has been received from a user device, determining if the resource is exhausted, if no acknowledgement has not been received and scheduling delivery of layered coded forward error correction packets, if the resource has not been exhausted.

Method and apparatus for streaming scalable multimedia data streams

A video encoder and decoder are provided for encoding and decoding video signal data for an image block and a particular reference picture index to predict the image block, where the encoder includes a reference picture weighting factor selector having an output indicative of a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index, a multiplier in signal communication with the reference picture weighting factor selector for providing a weighted version of the reference picture, and a motion estimator in signal communication with the multiplier for providing motion vectors corresponding to the weighted version of the reference picture; and the corresponding decoder a reference picture weighting factor unit having an output for determining a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index.

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Princeton Junction, NJ, United States of America

Alan Jay Stein