Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Andrew D Rosen

Gideon Andreas Yuval

Paul England

Josh D Benaloh

Yacov Yacobi

John A Painter

William J Heaton

Brian D Honey

John Conrad

Philip G Zack

William Thomas Blank

Andrew Stuart Glass

John Deutscher

Sunit Gogia

Daniel Brunner

Tyler V Davis

Display of a test pattern on a liquid crystal display ('LCD') device or other display device can expose a problem with control logic that causes perceptible shifting in color values away from correct color values. For example, a test pattern evaluation tool determines a test pattern that is based at least in part on a base pattern of pixels. The test pattern evaluation tool successively renders the test pattern for display on a display device. In doing so, the test pattern evaluation tool offsets the base pattern by a number of pixels (e.g., shifting by one pixel horizontally) between successive rendering operations at the native refresh rate of the display device, which facilitates evaluation of whether chromatic shift is induced among at least some sub-pixel display elements of the display device.

Test patterns for motion-induced chromatic shift

Various embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to quality-based video encoding. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a video compression system configured to compress a video item at a constant average quality to form compressed video data. Further, the system is configured to compare a bit rate of each portion of a plurality of portions of the compressed video data to a threshold bit rate, and if a bit rate of a selected portion of the compressed video data meets or exceeds the threshold bit rate, then adjust a compression process variable while compressing a segment of the video item corresponding to the selected portion of the compressed video data to reduce the bit rate of the portion of the compressed video data.

Quality-based video compression

A media synch player includes a time control module, a digital data storage and retrieval device coupled to and responsive to the time control module and an audiovisual data signal output configured to supply audiovisual data to a display by playing a first media file from the digital data storage and retrieval device in response to commands from a system controller. The time control module is configured to request a system time from an external time server, reset the time control module in accordance with the system time, lock to a master clock contained in the external time server and resynchronize the first time control module in response to predetermined criteria being met.

Computer media synchronization player

Methods and apparatus for protecting copyrighted information, e.g., video signals, from unauthorized use are described. Encrypted video signals are transmitted from a source device, e.g., display adapter, to a display device, e.g., monitor, over analog signal lines after the identity of the destination device is confirmed by receipt of a certificate assigned to the destination device. A session key, used for encrypting the analog signals, is generated and exchanged between the source and destination devices. The source and destination devices each include a pseudo-random number generator driven by the session key. As part of the encryption process a false video signal is generated. The false video signal and R, G, B video signals are transmitted to the display device over four lines. The lines used to transmit the R, G, B and false video signals are periodically swapped as a function of the output of the pseudo random number generator to encrypt, e.g., scramble, the video signals. To avoid having to provide an additional line between the display adapter and the display device beyond those used in conventional displays, horizontal synchronization information is combined with, e.g., modulated on, one or more of the other signals transmitted to the display. The horizontal sync line is then used to convey one of the four video signals. The display device extracts the horizontal timing information from the received video signals and decrypts the signals using the output of its pseudo random number generator to reverse the scrambling process used to encrypt the transmitted video signals.

Methods and apparatus for protecting signals transmitted between a source and destination device over multiple signals lines

Methods and systems are described that enable protection of digital content, such as movies and the like, by making pirated copies traceable back to a unique decryption key that was utilized to decrypt the originally encrypted content. The innovative advancements do not rely on post-distribution watermarking or fingerprinting techniques, and yet intrinsically link any unauthorized copies back to a unique cryptographic key or key collection that was used when the genuine copy was reproduced. In an example, when a content player decrypts its associated key collection and uses the key collection to decrypt the digital content, the version of the digital content that is decrypted points directly to the specific content-player that was authorized to decrypt it with that key collection.

Methods and systems of protecting digital content

Methods and systems are described that enable protection of digital content, such as movies and the like, by making pirated copies traceable back to a unique decryption key that was utilized to decrypt the originally encrypted content. Various embodiments can intrinsically link any unauthorized copies back to a unique cryptographic key or key collection that was used when the genuine copy was reproduced.

Methods and apparatus for protecting signals transmitted between a source and destination device over multiple signal lines

The generation of progressive output video from interlaced source video is disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, a computerized system includes an interlaced source video and a progressive output video. The interlaced source video has a number of lines and includes a first field having odd lines and a second field haveing even lines. The progressive output video has a number of lines half that of the number of lines of the interlaced source video. Each line of the progressive output video heavily weight weights a corresponding line of each of the first field and the second field of the interlaced source video. Desirably, each line of the progressive output video also lightly weights an immediately successive and an immediately preceding line of each of the first field and the second field of the interlaced video source.

Generation of progressive video from interlaced video

An optimal frame rate selection user interface is disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, a method has two steps. First, a video clip is displayed within at least one window, to permit dividing the clip into a plurality of shots (where each shot has a plurality of frames). Second, each shot is displayed in at least two windows, to permit selecting a desired frame rate for each shot. Desirably, each of these windows displays a given shot at a different frame rate. Therefore, a user is able to view each shot at a number of different frame rates to determine an optimal frame rate for each shot.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Andrew D Rosen