Hughes Aircraft Company

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Digital Electronic Cinema, Inc.

Irving Rabowsky

Richard E Sklar

Donald C Mead

Paul R Anderson

Ronnie R Burns

A novel system and method for secure electronic delivery of motion pictures in digital format to many end users simultaneously. In particular, the system comprises a headend system and a theater system. The headend system comprises a baseband processing system which receives analog cinema film as input, a storage system which receives digitized cinema files from the baseband processing system, a radio frequency transmission system which communicates cinema and data files to and from various users as a radio frequency bit stream, and a management system which controls transmission and storage of cinema and data files. The theater system comprises transmission line interfaces at theaters designated to receive cinema and data files from the headend system, receiver-decoders which receive the radio frequency bit stream and produce decoded cinema and data files at baseband, storage playback systems which stores cinema and data files until needed, secure projector systems which playback cinema files, an automation/scheduling system which directs playback of cinema files in the secure projector systems as authorized by the management system, and a reverse channel which provides data back to the headend system from the theaters. A preferred version of the present invention further comprises a creator/editor's system which allows authorized viewing and editing of cinema files by creators and editors. The creator/editor's system provides capability for editing and baseband processing of cinema files at remote locations, and transmits edited cinema files back to the headend system.

System and method for digital electronic cinema delivery

A method and device for monitoring a multi-program data stream. The data stream preferably contains digital packets multiplexed from different data and control channels. A service information channel or program guide is available from the data stream to identify the various channels and the associated packets in the data stream. The packet stream analyzer verifies the program guide and the contents of the program guide against the packets found in the packet stream. The semantics and sequencing of packets can also be verified. Verification errors can be recorded and displayed via an interface computer.

Method and apparatus for analyzing digital multi-program transmission

Methods and systems for encoding an audio signal into a bit stream, and for recreating the audio signal from the bit stream are disclosed. In an embodiment of an encoder, a first encoder (10) symbolically encodes a substantially vocal audio signal to form a first encoded signal. A second encoder (12) symbolically encodes a substantially nonvocal audio signal to form a second encoded signal. A multiplexer (14) multiplexes the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal to form the bit stream. In an embodiment of a decoder, a demultiplexer (80) extracts an encoded vocal signal and an encoded nonvocal signal from the bit stream. A first decoder (82) forms a decoded vocal signal based upon the encoded vocal signal. A second decoder (84) forms a decoded nonvocal signal based upon the encoded nonvocal signal. A mixer (86) combines the decoded vocal signal with the decoded nonvocal signal to form the audio signal.

Personalized low bit rate audio encoder and decoder using special

Methods and systems for encoding a video signal into a bit stream, and for reconstructing the video signal from the bit stream are disclosed. In an embodiment of an encoder, an object encoder (22) assigns a symbolic code to an object contained in at least one video frame, wherein the symbolic code identifies a corresponding generic object from a set of generic objects. A difference processor (32), coupled to the object encoder (22), computes a difference signal in dependence upon a difference between the object and the corresponding generic object. A multiplexer (30) provides the bit stream based upon the difference signal and the symbolic code. In an embodiment of a decoder, a demultiplexer (82) extracts a symbolic code and a difference signal from the encoded video signal. The symbolic code identifies a corresponding generic object from a set of generic objects, and the difference signal represents a difference between an object and the corresponding generic object. An object generator (84) forms the video signal by generating the corresponding generic object identified by the symbolic code, and modifying the corresponding one of the generic objects in dependence upon the difference signal.

Low bit rate video encoder and decoder

A passenger aircraft video distribution system distributes modulated RF carrier signals from a central signal source (10) to be used at each passenger seat (S1, S2, S3). The carriers are modulated to contain both audio and video data (12,14) and also other digital data, such as graphics, slide shows and the like. Analog video signals (14) from the video source are modulated (100) on individually discrete carriers in the range of 54 to 300 megahertz. Audio information, including audio sound channels and the video audio, are digitized (80,84) and combined with digital data in a combined serial bit stream that is multiplexed (82), and then modulated (96) on an RF carrier having a frequency sufficiently above the frequency band of the video signals so that the resulting spectrum of the modulated audio RF carrier does not interfere with the modulated video carriers. The RF carrier signals are combined (104) and distributed to individual seats. The modulated audio carrier (112) is separated from the video carriers (110) at each seat or each group of seats and then demodulated (116) and demultiplexed (120) for selection at each individual seat of a chosen audio channel.

Combined data, audio and video distribution system in passenger aircraft

A passenger aircraft video distribution system distributes modulated RF signals provided from a central signal source to be used at each passenger seat. The RF signals are distributed by means of various RF components, including amplifiers (90, 14a, 164, 24a, 24b, 34a), taps (180, 210) and splitters (108, 182, 214). In order to ensure proper RF levels for best tuner operation, each of a number of stations in the distribution system is provided with a variable gain amplifier (90, 14a, 164, 24a, 24b, 34a) controllable by a microprocessor (92, 50a, 220, 52a, 56a, 216). A separate service line (222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234) enables a central microprocessor to monitor RF levels at different stations to automatically provide, via the same service line, appropriate gain control signals to obtain proper RF levels. The monitored RF levels are also employed for diagnostic purposes.

Automatic RF leveling in passenger aircraft video distribution system

A passenger aircraft video distribution system distributes modulated RF signals (lines 16,26) provided from a central signal source to be used at each passenger seat (208-1 through 208-15). The RF signals are distributed by means of various RF components, including amplifiers (14, 24, 34), taps and splitters (22, 30), positioned at different mutually distant stations (12, 18, 28), with at least some stations being interconnected by relatively long lengths of coaxial cable (16,26). In order to ensure proper RF levels for best tuner (36) operation and to compensate for different cable losses at different frequencies, one or more of the stations (18) in the distribution system is provided with a variable equalizer (23) controllable by a microprocessor (52). A separate service line (64,66) enables a central microprocessor (50) to monitor RF levels at different frequencies at at least one station (28) to automatically provide, via the same service line, appropriate equalization control signals to obtain proper compensation for the different cable losses at different frequencies. The monitored RF signals are also employed for diagnostic purposes.

Growing community of inventors

Woodland hills, CA, United States of America

Irving Rabowsky