Thomson Licensing

Other

Interdigital Madison Patent Holdings, Sas

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc.

Interdigital Vc Holdings, Inc.

Vid Scale, Inc.

Rhomson Licensing

Thomson Licensing Dtv

Interdigital Madison Patent Holdings

Jeffrey Allen Cooper

Cristina Gomila

Jill MacDonald Boyce

Kumar Ramaswamy

Joan Llach

Alexandros Michael Tourapis

Jill Macdonald Boyce

Ralph Neff

Peng Yin

Ray B Hansen

Mark Alan Schultz

Paul Gothard Knutson

Junbiao Zhang

Harold Blatter

Thomas Edward Horlander

Timothy Forrest Settle

Michael Dillon Rich

Brian K McCandless

John Richardson

Joan Lllach

Jill Mac Boyce

Jill Mac Donald Boyce

Systems and methods are described for providing viewers of streamed video content with the option to view alternative video content in which alternative tone maps are applied to respective regions of interest. In some embodiments, the streamed video content is divided into slices, and alternative tone maps are applied to respective regions of interest within the slices. When a server receives a request from a client for alternative tone mappings of different regions, slices with the appropriate mapping may be assembled on demand and delivered to the client in a single video stream. Tone mappings may be used, for example, to highlight particular objects, such as players in a sporting event captured in the streamed video content.

Systems and methods for region-of-interest tone remapping

Systems and methods are described for enabling a consumer of streaming video to obtain different views of the video, such as zoomed views of one or more objects of interest. In an exemplary embodiment, a client device receives an original video stream along with data identifying objects of interest and their spatial locations within the original video. In one embodiment, in response to user selection of an object of interest, the client device switches to display of a cropped and scaled version of the original video to present a zoomed video of the object of interest. The zoomed video tracks the selected object even as the position of the selected object changes with respect to the original video. In some embodiments, the object of interest and the appropriate zoom factor are both selected with a single expanding-pinch gesture on a touch screen.

Systems and methods for selective object-of-interest zooming in streaming video

Systems and methods are described for providing viewers of adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming video with the option to view alternative streams in which an alternative tone mapping is applied to one or more regions of interest. The availability of streams with alternative tone mappings may be identified in a media presentation description (MPD) in an MPEG-DASH system. In some embodiments, the streaming video is divided into slices, and alternative tone mappings are applied to regions of interest within the slices. When a server receives a request from a client device for alternative tone mappings of different regions, slices with the appropriate mapping may be assembled on demand and delivered to the requestor as a single video stream. Tone mappings may be used, for example, to highlight particular players in a sporting event.

Systems and methods are described for enabling a client device to request video streams with different bit depth remappings for different viewing conditions. In an embodiment, information indicating the availability of additional remapped profiles is sent in a manifest file. Alternative bit-depth remappings may be optimized for different regions of interest in the image or video content, or for different viewing conditions, such as different display technologies and different ambient illumination. Some embodiments based on the DASH protocol perform multiple depth mappings at the encoder and also perform ABR-encoding for distribution. The manifest file contains information indicating additional remapping profiles. The remapping profiles are associated with different transformation functions used to convert from a higher bit-depth to a lower bit-depth.

Bit depth remapping based on viewing parameters

A video decoder, and corresponding method are described for enabling fast channel change of compressed video, where a video decoder for receiving compressed stream data and providing decompressed video output includes receiving the compressed stream data and separating the normal stream and the channel change stream, a normal decoding portion for selectably receiving the compressed normal and channel change streams, and providing decompressed video output, and a normal frame store in signal communication with the normal decoding portion for storing reference pictures.

Decoding method and apparatus enabling fast channel change of compressed video

The present invention provides apparatuses and systems for determining block averages in film grain simulation including determining block averages during a display process and determining block averages during a decoding process. The apparatuses and systems of the present invention exhibit different characteristics in terms of memory requirements and computational cost. More specifically, the first apparatus and system use no external memory, but require either extra reads of the blocks, or internal memory in the display pipeline, while the second apparatus and system require extra memory bandwidth and extra external memory (e.g., RAM).

Apparatus and system for determining block averages for film grain simulation

A video decoder, and corresponding method are described for enabling fast channel change of compressed video, where a video decoder for receiving compressed stream data and providing decompressed video output includes a demultiplexor for receiving the compressed stream data and separating the normal stream and the channel change stream, a normal decoding portion in signal communication with the demultiplexor for selectably receiving the compressed normal and channel change streams, and providing decompressed video output, and a normal frame store in signal communication with the normal decoding portion for storing reference pictures.

There are provided methods and apparatus for film grain SEI message insertion for bit-accurate simulation in a video system. A method for simulating film grain in an ordered sequence includes the steps of providing film grain supplemental information corresponding to a plurality of intra coded pictures, and providing additional film grain supplemental information corresponding to inter coded pictures between consecutive intra coded pictures, in decode order. The inter coded pictures are selected based upon display order.

Film grain SEI message insertion for bit-accurate simulation in a video system

The present invention provides methods for determining block averages in film grain simulation including determining block averages during a display process and determining block averages during a decoding process. The methods of the present invention exhibit different characteristics in terms of memory requirements and computational cost. More specifically, the first method uses no external memory, but requires either extra reads of the blocks, or internal memory in the display pipeline, while the second method requires extra memory bandwidth and extra external memory (e.g., RAM).

Methods for determining block averages for film grain simulation

Creation of a Bit-accurate film grain pattern for blending in an image block occurs by first establishing a set of bit-accurate transformed coefficients. The set of bit-accurate transformed coefficients undergo frequency filtering and a subsequent bit-accurate inverse transformation to yield the film grain pattern. The film grain pattern can then undergo blending with an image block to restore the look of film to the image.

Bit-accurate film grain simulation method based on pre-computed transformed coefficients

In a multi-channel video transmission system in which channel video segments are operated on by corresponding channel video encoders to encode the video segments into frames organized into groups of defined frame types, an apparatus and method to cause a temporal staggering for the processing of a specific frame type among the various channels. In one preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a frame counter to synchronize reset signals associated with the corresponding channel video encoders and a means for providing a timing offset to channel video encoders corresponding to a selected frame stagger for a particular corresponding channel.

Method and system for staggered statistical multiplexing

A video encoder and corresponding method are described for enabling fast channel change of compressed video, where a video encoder for receiving input pictures and providing compressed stream data includes a normal encoding portion for receiving input pictures and providing normal stream data, a lower-quality encoding portion for receiving input pictures and providing channel change stream data, and a multiplexor in signal communication with each of the normal and lower-quality portions for receiving and combining the normal and channel change data streams.

Encoding method and apparatus enabling fast channel change of compressed video

A method and apparatus for staggercasting includes encoding a first signal representing content having a time duration and a second signal also representing that content. A time delay period is specified for the time duration of the content. A composite signal, comprising the first and second encoded signals, is generated. In the composite signal the first encoded signal is delayed with respect to the second encoded signal by the time delay period for the time duration of the content. If an error is detected in the composite signal, then the received second encoded signal is decoded to produce the content, otherwise the delayed received first encoded signal is decoded to produce the content.

Robust mode staggercasting with adjustable delay offset

A method for enabling access to digital rights managed (DRM) content from a server to a portable playback device using a device that functions as a proxy for enabling communication between the server and the portable playback device. The method provides for establishing a connection with a device capable of operating as a gateway device for passing data between the portable playback device and the server, requesting that the device establish a connection with the server and operate as a proxy for enabling data exchange between the portable playback device and the server, sending to the server, upon establishing the connection with the server via the device operating as a proxy, data indicating DRM solutions supported by the portable playback device, and a list comprising requested DRM content to be downloaded to the portable playback device, and receiving from the server, via the device operating as a proxy, the requested DRM content and DRM rules associated with the received content.

Digital rights management (DRM) enabled portable playback device, method and system

The present invention provides a method, apparatus and system for film grain cache splitting for film grain simulation. In one embodiment of the present invention a method for storing film grain patterns includes storing at least a first portion of film grain patterns in an internal memory and storing at least a second portion of the film grain patterns in an external memory. That is, in the present invention a method for film grain cache splitting for film grain simulation includes splitting the storage of film grain patterns between an internal cache and an external memory. In one embodiment of the present invention, the internal cache is integrated into an integrated circuit chip of a decoder.

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Rocky Hill, NJ, United States of America

Jeffrey Allen Cooper