Thomson Licensing

Deutsche Thomson-brandt Gmbh

Thomas Licensing

Telefunken Fernseh Und Rundfunk Gmbh

Deutsche Ag Fur Unterhaltungselectronic Ohg

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Hartmut Peters

Ralf Ostermann

Dirk Gandolph

Jobst Hoerentrup

Carsten Herpel

Harald Schiller

Marco Winter

Jobst Hörentrup

Uwe Janssen

Andrej Schewzow

Dirk Adolph

Axel Kochale

Heinz-Werner Keesen

Jobst Horentrup

Jobst Hoerentrop

Stefan Kubsch

Meinolf Blawat

Wolfgang Klausberger

Hui Li

Werner Scholz

Dietmar Hepper

Friedrich Timmermann

Bernd Wessolly

Jobst Höerentrup

Ernst F Schroeder

Johannes Boehm

Peter Mahr

Paul-Louis Meunier

Klaus Oldermann

Walter Voessing

Gerhard Reiner

Max Artigalas

Wulf-Christian Streckenbach

Juergen Kaaden

Gunter Oberjatzas

Martin Kuner

Werner Bachnick

Andreas Kluger

Uwe Jannsen

Jobst HÖRENTRUP

Embodiments of the invention include a subtitling format encompassing elements of enhanced syntax and semantic to provide improved animation capabilities. The disclosed elements improve subtitle performance without stressing the available subtitle bitrate. This will become essential for authoring content of high-end HDTV subtitles in pre-recorded format, which can be broadcast or stored on high capacity optical media, e.g. the Blue-ray Disc. Embodiments of the invention include abilities for improved authoring possibilities for the content production to animate subtitles. For subtitles that are separate from AV material, a method includes using one or more superimposed subtitle layers, and displaying only a selected part of the transferred subtitles at a time. Further, colors of a selected part of the displayed subtitles may be modified, e.g. highlighted.

Method and apparatus for composition of subtitles

A method for generating an on-screen menu comprising menu buttons and other menu items, e.g. help text, is characterized in that one or more groups of menu buttons or menu items are defined, wherein a group comprises one or more menu buttons or menu items and has associated a defined area on the screen. A state is assigned to a button, the state being 'enabled' or 'disabled', wherein only an enabled button or item may be displayed, and wherein within a group not more than one button or item may be enabled. The state of a button can be changed by commands associated with other buttons.

Method for generating an on-screen menu

Consumer electronic devices, such as e.g. high-definition movie players for removable storage media such as optical discs, may provide possibilities for advanced interactivity for the user, implemented as software applications. A question arising generally with such software applications is what the life cycle of such an application is, and who may control it. The invention provides a method for executing software applications within a playback device for audio-video data, wherein data from a first removable storage medium are read for a software application to be executed within said playback device, and the data comprise an indication defining a termination condition for the application. Based on said termination code and depending on how the medium holding the application is ejected, the application is terminated or may survive.

Method and apparatus for executing software applications

Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus including a processor for retrieving subtitle layer data, wherein the subtitle layer data contains a graphic subtitle elements. The processor extracts from retrieved subtitle layer data, subtitle display region information for defining a subtitle display region, a cropping flag, and subtitle display region cropping information, for cropping the display region, the subtitle display region cropping information including a parameter for horizontal position of the cropped subtitle display region, a parameter for vertical position of the crossed subtitle display region, a parameter for width of the cropped subtitle display region, and a parameter for height of the cropped subtitle display region. The apparatus includes a renderer for enabling automatic cropping of parts of the subtitle elements to be displayed in the cropped subtitle display region, where the cropped parts of the subtitle elements to be displayed are defined by subtitle display region cropping information.

Several data streams contain video, audio and/or other data. Some of the data streams are pre-recorded in a multiplex on a storage medium while other data streams are located out of the data stream multiplex on the storage medium. The data streams are synchronized using a navigation file (List_of_PlayItems), which comprises descriptors (PlayItems, SubPlayItems) pointing to parts of said data streams, wherein said descriptors define the arrangement in time for said data streams by means of data sub stream paths.

Method and apparatus for synchronizing data streams containing audio, video and/or other data

Multimedia content of exchangeable storage media, such as optical discs, may be extended by bonus content that is downloaded via Internet connection and stored on a local storage device. An improved method for integration of different menu items relating to on-disc content and downloaded content provides flexibility and a simple, low cost solution. The method for integration of downloaded bonus content into a menu comprises defining one or more placeholders within a menu, determining a storage location or naming convention for bonus content, declaring for each placeholder an attribute providing a unique association to a specific type of bonus content, providing a button image, detecting presence of bonus content data, replacing the associated placeholder by the associated button image and enabling an associated action to be taken when said button is selected.

Method and device for composing a menu

Local storage on player instruments provides the ability for adding further amendments and most recent supplements to the optical disc content. A problem arising with this technically applicable possibility is the protection of copyrights bound to disc and supplement data. The present invention describes a technique to ensure a security framework that is able to handle this, by creating a virtual file system (VFS) by merging optical disc data and local storage data based upon a common identifier.

Bonding contents on separate storage media

Growing community of inventors

Barsinghausen, Germany

Hartmut Peters