Sony United Kingdom Limited

Sony Corporation

Sony Europe Limited

Sony Europe B.v.

Jonathan Richard Thorpe

Michael John Williams

Mark John McGrath

Paul Edward Prayle

Mikael Carl Lang

Andrew David Kydd

Robert Mark Stefan Porter

Ratna Beresford

Alan Hogg Turner

David William Trepess

Morgan W David

Morgan William Amos David

Sarah Elizabeth Witt

Vincent Carl Harradine

Timothy Stuart Roberts

Barney Govan

Matthew Brian Spencer

Mark Barton

Clive Henry Gillard

Stephen Mark Keating

Hideki Ando

Mark Julian Russell

Thomas Hugh Pierce

Alexander John James Miller

John Edward Hodgkins

Anne Cherrington

Alan Peter Birtles

Andrew Kydd

An image processing method includes partitioning an image under test to form a plurality of contiguous image segments having similar image properties, deriving feature data from a subset including one or more of the image segments, and comparing the feature data from the subset of image segments with feature data derived from respective image segments of one or more other images so as to detect a similarity between the image under test and the one or more other images.

Image processing

A method of producing the results of a search for content for display on a client is described. The method comprises: identifying a plurality of objects of interest; uploading an image of each of the plurality of objects to a server; uploading captured content to the server, the captured content including the plurality of objects; performing, on the server, recognition of each of the objects in the captured content; generating a confidence score indicating the probability of each of the recognized objects being present in the content; receiving, from the client, an object selection, wherein the results of the search are arranged on the basis of the selected object; and generating the results of the search on the server for downloading to the client for display on the client, wherein a representation of the captured content is located between a representation of the selected object and another of the plurality of objects, the distance between the representation of the captured content and the plurality of objects being determined in accordance with the confidence score.

Method, system, and client for content management

A method comprising: obtaining a disparity map for one of a left eye image and a right eye image, the disparity map indicating the horizontal displacement between corresponding pixels in the left eye image and the right eye image; generating a luminance representation of the disparity map, wherein a disparity unit which defines the resolution of the disparity map, is mapped to a corresponding luminance value; and companding the luminance value for transmission over a luminance channel is described.

Apparatus and method for processing 3D video data

A method of generating a disparity map is described. The method is for an image sequence which is displayable on a screen defining a screen plane, wherein the image sequence includes a stereoscopically viewable first object perceivable by a viewer on an image plane different to the screen plane, the stereoscopically viewable object comprising a first image viewable by a viewer's eye and a second image viewable by the viewer's other eye, the method comprising:

Method and system for processing video images

A method of cutting between a first image sequence and a second image sequence displayable on a screen which defines a screen plane, wherein the first image sequence includes a stereoscopically viewable object perceivable by a viewer on a first image plane different to the screen plane and the second image sequence including a second object perceivable on a second image plane different to the first image plane, the stereoscopically viewable object comprising a first image at a first screen plane position and a second image at a second screen plane position, the method comprising: identifying the first screen plane position of the first image and the second screen plane position of the second image; inserting into a first post-cut frame of the second image sequence a first copy of the second object substantially at the first screen plane position and inserting a second copy of the second object substantially at the second screen plane position, and inserting the first copy of the second object and the second copy of the second object into a predetermined number of subsequent frames at positions on the screen which are closer to the screen position required to view the second object at the second image plane, than the first and second screen plane position.

Method and apparatus for processing video images

A security device and system is disclosed. This security device is particularly useful in a security system where there are many security cameras to be monitored. This device automatically highlights to a user a camera feed in which an incident is occurring. This assists a user in identifying incidents and to make an appropriate decision regarding whether or not to intervene. This highlighting is performed by a trigger signal generated in accordance with a comparison between a sequence of representations of sensory data and other corresponding sequences of representations of sensory data.

Security device and system

An apparatus for determining misalignment between a first image and a second image, the first and second images being viewable stereoscopically, the apparatus comprising:

Method and apparatus for determining misalignment

A method of determining misalignment between a first image and a second image, the first and second images being viewable stereoscopically, the method comprising: determining a feature position within the first image and a corresponding feature position within the second image; defining, within the first image and the second image, the optical axis of the cameras capturing said respective images; and calculating the misalignment between at least one of scale, roll or vertical translation of the feature position within the first image and the corresponding feature position within the second image, the misalignment being determined in dependence upon the location of the feature position of the first image and the corresponding feature position of the second image relative to the defined optical axis of the respective images is described. A corresponding apparatus is also described.

An information handling apparatus in which textual metadata is generated in respect of a current information item in an ensemble of information items including: a mechanism that detects one or more predetermined properties of the current information item; a mechanism that detects a subset of information items from the ensemble of information items the subset being those which have the one or more predetermined properties most similar to those of the current information item; and a mechanism that selects one or more most frequently occurring words and/or phrases within textual metadata associated with the subset of information items, for use in textual metadata to be associated with the current information item.

Information handling

An information handling method in which information items are mapped to respective nodes in an array of nodes by mutual similarity of the information items, such that similar information items map to nodes at similar positions in the array of nodes; a mapping relationship being defined between feature data relating to an information item and nodes in the array of nodes comprises the steps of:

Information handling method for mapping information items to respective nodes

An audio/video reproducing apparatus is connectable to a communications network for selectively reproducing items of audio/video material from a recording medium in response to a request received via the communications network. The audio/video reproducing apparatus may comprise a control processor operable in use to receive data representing the request for the audio/video material item via the communications network. A reproducing processor is operable in response to signals identifying the audio/video material items from the control processor to reproduce the audio/video material items. The data identifying the audio/video material items includes meta data indicative of the audio/video material items. The meta data may be one of UMID, tape ID and time codes, and a Unique Material Identifier the material items. To facilitate the identification and selection of the audio and/or video material, an audio and/or video processing apparatus is provided for processing audio and/or video signals representing sound and/or images. The processing apparatus comprises an activity detector operable to generate an activity signal indicative of an amount of activity within the sound/images represented by the audio/video signal, and a meta data generator coupled to the activity detector which is operable to generate sample images at temporal positions within the audio/video signal, which temporal positions are determined from the activity signal. The processing apparatus thereby provides a facility for automatically generating meta data from received audio/video signals. The meta data can be used to select the audio/video material.

Audio/video reproducing apparatus and method

An information retrieval system in which a set of distinct information items map to respective nodes in an array of nodes by mutual similarity of the information items, so that similar information items map to nodes at similar positions in the array of nodes; the system comprising: a user control for defining a search criterion for selecting information items; a detector for detecting those positions within the array of nodes corresponding to the selected information items; a graphical user interface for displaying a two-dimensional display array of display points representing those positions within the array of nodes corresponding to the selected information items; and a processor responsive to the selected information items, for providing a representation which is generally representative of the information content of the selected information items.

Growing community of inventors

Winchester, United Kingdom

Jonathan Richard Thorpe