Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc.

Thomson Licensing

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Rca Licensing Corporation

Interdigital Ce Patent Holdings

Rca Licensing Corporaiton

James Edwin Hailey

Michael Scott Deiss

John William Chaney

Michael Wayne Johnson

Raymond Scott Horton

Kevin Elliott Bridgewater

Billy Wesley Beyers

Gregory George Tamer

Billy W Beyers, Jr

Hugh Boyd Morrison

Robert Joseph Logan

Robert Skipworth Comer

Foy Edward Wilkey

Randall Duane Staggs

Bill Wesley Beyers, Jr

Mark Alan Schultz

Juri Tults

Harold Blatter

David Emery Virag

Sheila Renee Crosby

John Joseph Nigborowicz

Robert Alan Pitsch

Kevin Elliot Bridgewater

Shelia Renee Crosby

Bill W Beyers, Jr

Robert Harry Heath

Billy W Beyers Jr

Howard W Venners

Various implementations provide one or more of improved programming channel change time and/or overall quality of television reception by using multiple transmission channels. In one particular implementation, a first layer of a picture is encoded using a first level of error protection. The encoded first layer has a first decoding delay. A second layer of the picture is encoded using a second level of error protection. The encoded second layer has a second decoding delay. The second level of error protection is lower than the first level of error protection, and the second decoding delay is longer than the first decoding delay. Other implementations provide a signal or signal structure carrying the encoded first and second layers. Yet further implementations decode the encoded first and second layers.

Robust digital channels

The disclosed methods and systems provide for the registry and authorization of media on a media player. The method involves maintaining a registry of registered media. Media to be played by the media player is compared to the maintained registry of registered media. If media is registered, authorization it then required to play the registered media.

Media registration and authorization on a media player

An apparatus and method for projecting an image on a surface is provided. More specifically, the method for highlighting information within an image displayed by a projection unit includes receiving a video signal; decoding the video signal; controlling a panel driver to drive a light engine within a predefined power range to display the video signal; and causing the panel driver to enter an overdrive mode driving the light engine at a power level above the preset power range for a period of a scan of the video signal at which information to be highlighted is displayed.

Highlighting an object displayed by a pico projector

A program guide is displayed which lists the availability of information for a program listed in the guide, where such information is obtained from a source accessible through the Internet, where the guide uses first color to indicate the availability of such information and a second color when such information is not available.

System and method for processing and decoding MPEG compatible data and internet information

A multiple-tuner digital video storage device, providing live-pause television program viewing from digital television program data recorded on a storage device, reduces channel change delay when changing digital television channels. The digital video storage device processes and stores video data from a digital television channel to which a channel change expected (predicted) concurrent with storing video data from a digital television channel that is currently selected. The digital video storage device substantially simultaneously reads the stored video data for the currently selected digital television channel and the predicted digital television channel, and decodes the video data of the currently selected digital television channel for presentation to a Decoding display associated with the digital video storage device. Upon receipt of a channel change request for the predicted digital television channel, the digital video storage device starts decoding the read video data of the predicted digital television channel for presentation to the display.

Fast channel change in a digital television receiver

A video decoder system automatically acquires program guide information from local and remote peripheral devices to form a composite program guide. Program guide information is received from a first source and access data is retrieved from memory. The access data is used to initiate communication automatically between the video decoder and a second source external to the video decoder. Program guide information retrieved from the second source together with program guide information provided by the first source is incorporated into a composite program guide for display. The communication may be initiated upon different conditions and a peripheral device and associated communication protocol may be identified from various sources of configuration information.

System for automatically forming a program guide from information derived from multiple sources

A video decoder system operates in different configurations to request and acquire information using one or more communication links and different communication protocols. A method for acquiring information requested by a User via a program guide selection involves retrieving access data from memory. The access data is retrieved in response to a User selection made from options shown on a displayed program guide. A data identifier is derived from program map data associating the data identifier and the User selection. Information is identified in an input signal in response to the access data using the identifier. The identified information is retrieved from the input signal to produce a retrieved information output and the retrieved information is formatted for display. The decoder may establish a Request communication link with a first device using the access data. In addition, the decoder may establish a communication link with another device using a communication protocol derived from an information database.

System for processing and decoding MPEG compatible data and internet information

A method and an apparatus for processing a packetized transport stream that determines whether a sequence of transport packets are received in a proper sequence and whether an error is present in a particular transport packet. The method includes the steps of determining a packet identifier for identifying transport packets associated with a selected program and parsing a packetized transport stream to identify and capture the desired sequence of transport packets in response to the packet identifier. The method further includes the steps of detecting a counter portion, determining whether a desired sequence of transport packets has been received in response to the counter portion, detecting a one bit toggle portion, and determining whether an error exits in the associated transport packet in response to the one bit toggle portion. An apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed.

Conditional access filter as for a packet video signal inverse transport system

A method of processing a packetized datastream that includes program information and ancillary information used to acquire desired program information packets. The method includes the steps of identifying a first data unit that includes channel information and identifying a plurality of second data units included with the first data unit. The plurality of second data units are of a fixed length, and thus, separated in the packetized datastream by a multiple of a fixed offset. The method further includes the step of acquiring desired second data units using the fixed offset and subsequently determining the available services associated with a program and acquiring the desired program packets from the datastream.

Apparatus and method for processing a program guide in a digital video system

A method and an apparatus for processing packetized signal having a plurality of channels carrying program information. The packetized signal also includes program guide information that includes channel identifier data. The program guide information comprises a sequence of data blocks including a segment map that includes information about the partitioning of the plurality of channels into segments and map block that includes information relating specific channels of the plurality of channels with respective channel identifier data.

Apparatus in a receiver, for processing transmitted entitlement control information, includes a packet transport processor for selecting signal packets having payloads containing a conditional access payload header and a remaining payload of entitlement data. Respective payload headers include groups of bytes which are coded in a manner to allow or disallow the respective receiver from processing the entitlement data. A conditional access filter preprogrammed with a subscriber specific conditional access codeword examines respective byte groupings of the conditional access header for a match with the subscriber specific conditional access codeword. Only if a match occurs is the processor permitted to process the entitlement data. The entitlement data is thereafter utilized to generate decryption keys for descrambling portions of the transmitted signal.

In a television system in which at least program title information for programs which are to be transmitted in the future is transmitted in advance to form a channel guide listing, apparatus is provided for acquiring one of the title information and the current date, and generating display signal comprising data representing a text screen containing one of the title information and the current date for recording a user-viewable screen display on a video tape ahead of the television program signal. The title or date information acting as a leader to the following television program. In a second embodiment of the invention, in those instances where descriptive text accompanies the program listing, apparatus of the invention records the descriptive text relating to the title, the star, the director, or the context of the program.

Automatic title or description captioning for a VCR recording

Apparatus and method for acquiring a program from a packetized signal in response to ancillary information included in the packetized signal. The packetized signal includes a plurality of program signals and ancillary information associated with the plurality of program signals. The apparatus includes means for identifying the ancillary information from the packetized signal, the ancillary information including master guide information for use in identifying and acquiring special guide information, and special guide information for use in acquiring program information associated with the plurality of program signals. The program signals may be acquired using identifier information that may be derived from the ancillary information. The apparatus includes means responsive to the ancillary information for acquiring a selected program from the packetized signal.

Program guide in a digital video system

In a videocassette recorder including 'VCR PLUS+.TM.' videocassette recorder programming system capability and TIMER PROGRAMMING capability, it is herein recognized that the respective menu for programming in each of the two available systems should automatically be selected in response to the pressing of the PROGRAM key by a user, and in response to which of the two systems was last used for programming the VCR.

Growing community of inventors

Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

James Edwin Hailey