Sony Corporation

Sony Cinema Products Corporation

Sony Electronics Inc

Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.

Michael J Kohut

Paul Nigel Wood

Yoshio Ozaki

Masatoshi Ueno

Shinji Miyamori

Toshiaki Setogawa

Kenji Takanashi

Aram A Tanielian

Jeffrey Edward Taylor

Dana B Wood

Matayasu Kubo

Leroy Reese

George Carlsen

Mark Waring

Jeff Taylor

Jaye M Waas

James S Mercs

Paul M Embree

Laura Mercs

Larry Goodman

Mark Koffman

Jim Mercs

A system and method for managing a plurality content items employs an ingest station which may digitize the content items, generate metadata corresponding to each of the content items, and store the metadata and the content items in a storage medium or mediums. The content items may be audio content, video content, or audio/video content. The system and method may provide an association between the metadata and a corresponding content item to facilitate retrieval of the content item. The content items may be retrieved, at least in part, by searching the metadata and employing the association between the metadata and a corresponding content item to locate the desired content item.

Media management system and process

A system and method for managing a plurality of content items employs a plurality of storage volumes that may be checked out, with or without previously archived content items stored on them, and that may be checked in, with or without new or changed content items stored on them. The content items may be audio content, video content, audio/video content, or the like. The plurality of storage volumes may be removable hard disk drives, virtual storage, storage locations on a storage device or devices, or the like. When a storage volume is checked in, embodiments of the system and method may detect whether new or changed content items are stored on the storage volume and any new or changed content items may be archived. When a content item is archived, the content may be stored along with related metadata and with an association between the content item and the related metadata.

Media storage and management system and process

The system and method of the present invention provides enhanced surround sound effects. In one embodiment, 90.degree. phase shift and copy of the modified head related transfer functions (HRTF) are applied to each rear sound signal. The modified HRTF for each rear signal is generated by removing the head related transfer function corresponding to the front center signal from the HRTF corresponding to the rear sound signal. This provides the audible effect of distinguishing more clearly sounds originating in front of the listener or to the rear of the listener while not limiting the perceived bandwidth of the signal. The rear signals corresponding to the first channel are inverted. The front and rear signals for each corresponding channel are then combined. The two channels, generated can be stored on media, such as film, and subsequently read and input to a surround sound decoder to generate enhanced surround sound output.

Method and apparatus for two channels of sound having directional cues

An improved theater surround sound system incorporates a screen top speaker and an overhead speaker driven by corresponding upper surround channels to more accurately reproduce sounds produced from above the listener. These top surround channels are encoded along with the left and right surround channels. A pilot signal is used to direct the sound from the side surround channels to the upper surround channels when needed.

Theater sound system with upper surround channels

A system for controlling distribution of sound in a multi-channel sound system such as a 'surround sound' system in a movie theater. Control signals are used to steer, or distribute, portions of the sound signal between designated speakers. In a preferred embodiment the control signals are provided with the sound signals, themselves, and are separated from the sound signals by using a pilot signal or signals.

Ceiling speaker and signal source

A motion picture film capable of reproducing the sound field full of ambience in the reproducing system. The digital sound tracks 5L and 5R, on which digital audio data have been recorded, are recorded so that temporally same digital audio signals are recorded with a spatial shift by a preset distance along the film running direction.

Digital sound recording on motion picture film

A photosensitive medium, such as motion picture film, having digital audio signals photographically recorded thereon. If the medium has multiple, spatially separated digital and analog audio soundtracks, a photosensitive detector array is employed for each of the digital audio soundtrack areas, and a separate analog soundtrack read head is employed. Preferably, digital error code is recorded in a digital soundtrack area of the medium (with digital audio bits), and error detection and correction are performed on the recorded digital audio bits read from the medium. Preferably, the apparatus includes switching circuitry for substituting a corresponding analog audio signal for one or more corrupted digital soundtrack channels, when such digital soundtrack channels have an error rate which exceeds a selected threshold. Also preferably, the invention reads recorded digital audio information by projecting a laser beam (having a near infrared wavelength) on a row of a digital soundtrack area of a motion picture film, to modulate the beam as it passes through the row. The radiation transmitted through each digital soundtrack bit area is projected onto a spot in the detector plane that is substantially larger than the dimension of each individual detector which receives the spot. As the film translates continuously relative to the radiation source so that the projection of the spot translates relative to each receiving detector, the output of each receiving detector is integrated over the period during which a portion of the spot is projected thereon.

Medium having photographically recorded digital audio bits

A method and apparatus for photographically recording digital audio signals, and a medium having digital audio signals photographically recorded thereon. In a preferred embodiment, a motion picture film recorded in accordance with the invention has multiple digital audio soundtracks and an analog audio soundtrack photographically recorded thereon. Two or more channels of digital audio information can be recorded in each digital soundtrack, along with additional digital information for clocking, tracking, and error detection and correction. Each digital soundtrack is recorded in an array of bit areas arranged in row and column order. In a class of preferred embodiments, each row of digital audio bits is recorded simultaneously by exposing the film to radiation that has been modulated by a linear shutter array. The radiation transmitted by each shutter array is projected onto a row of spots. Each spot covers the full width of one of the bit areas in a row, but only part of the length of the bit area. As the medium is translated continuously (lengthwise) relative to the projected spots, each of the spots sweeps across a bit area, thereby recording a bit in the bit area which it sweeps in a manner analogous to painting the bit area with a paint brush.

Method and apparatus for photographically recording digital audio and a

A method and apparatus for reading digital audio signals photographically recorded on a medium (such as motion picture film). If the medium has multiple, spatially separated digital and analog audio soundtracks, a photosensitive detector array is employed for each of the digital audio soundtrack areas, and a separate analog soundtrack read head is employed. Preferably, digital error code is recorded in a digital soundtrack area of the medium (with digital audio bits), and error detection and correction are performed on the recorded digital audio bits read from the medium. Preferably, the apparatus includes switching circuitry for substituting a corresponding analog audio signal for one or more corrupted digital soundtrack channels, when such digital soundtrack channels have an error rate which exceeds a selected threshold. Also preferably, the invention reads recorded digital audio information by projecting a laser beam (having a near infrared wavelength) on a row of a digital soundtrack area of a motion picture film, to modulate the beam as it passes through the row. The radiation transmitted through each digital soundtrack bit area is projected onto a spot in the detector plane that is substantially larger than the dimension of each individual detector which receives the spot. As the film translates continuously relative to the radiation source so that the projection of the spot translates relative to each receiving detector, the output of each receiving detector is integrated over the period during which a portion of the spot is projected thereon.

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Ojai, CA, United States of America

Michael J Kohut