Sony United Kingdom Limited

Sony Corporation

Sony Europe Limited

Morgan William Amos David

Jonathan James Stone

James Hedley Wilkinson

Mark John McGrath

Jonathan Richard Thorpe

Clive Henry Gillard

Stephen Mark Keating

Robert Mark Stefan Porter

Daniel Warren Tapson

Jason Charles Pelly

Michael John Williams

Andrew Collins

Alan Hogg Turner

Vincent Carl Harradine

Andrew David Kydd

Vince Harradine

Martin Rex Dorricot

Andrew Kydd

Vince Carl Harradine

An image processing device, including an image receiver operable to receive a first image; an image converter operable to convert the first image to a second image, the second image being a smaller-sized representation of the first image; an image pre-processor operable to perform an imaging effect on the second image to form a third image, the imaging effect being defined by an imaging effect parameter; a first output device operable to output the third image for display; and a second output device operable to output the first image and the imaging effect parameter.

Method, apparatus and system for image processing

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

A system communicates a representation of a scene, which includes a plurality of objects disposed on a plane, to one or more client devices. The representation is generated from one or more video images of the scene captured by a video camera. The system comprises an image processing apparatus operable to receive the video images of the scene which includes a view of the objects on the plane, to process the captured video images so as to extract one or more image features from each object, to compare the one or more image features with sample image features from a predetermined set of possible example objects which the video images may contain, to identify the objects from the comparison of the image features with the predetermined image features of the possible example objects, and to generate object path data for each object which identifies the respective object; and provides a position of the identified object on a three dimensional model of the plane in the video images with respect to time. The image processing apparatus is further operable to calculate a projection matrix for projecting the position of each of the objects according to the object path data from the plane in the video image into the three dimensional model of the plane. A distribution server is operable to receive the object path data and the projection matrix generated by the image processing apparatus for distribution of the object path data and the projection matrix to one or more client devices. The system is arranged to generate a representation of an event, such as a sporting event, which provides a substantial data in an amount of information which must be communicated to represent the event. As such, the system can be used to communicate the representation of the event, via a bandwidth limited communications network, such as the internet, from the server to one or more client devices in real time. Furthermore, the system can be used to view one or more of the objects within the video images by extracting the objects from the video images.

System for communicating and method

A media data security system for rendering a secure media data file, having associated authentication data, for output comprises a data preparation unit operable with respect to a version of the media data file, having user controls for generating a list of desired render operations to be applied to the media data file; and a secure data reproducer arranged to receive the list of desired render operations from the data preparation unit and to render the secure media data file for output on the basis of the list of render operations, the secure data reproducer comprising: a data authenticator for detecting the authenticity of the secure media data file using the authentication data; and a data reproducer operable, if the data authenticator detects that the input data is authentic, to perform the list of desired render operations with respect to the secure media data file.

Security system

A method of identifying material which includes the step of inserting an identifying code into a signal as a watermark, and deriving a signature from the material. The code and signature are stored in a database. The watermarked signal may be distributed and/or transmitted through a network. The signal may be processed in the network. A monitor derives from the received signal, the signature and the code. The derived signature and the derived code are compared with the stored signature and code to check the provenance of the material. The watermark contains an authorization code allowing duplication of the material.

Identifying material stored using a signature as a retrieval index

A method of identifying material comprises the step of inserting an identifying code into a signal as a watermark, and deriving a signature from the material. The code and signature are stored in a database. The watermarked signal may be distributed and/or transmitted through a network. The signal may be processed in the network. A monitor derives from the received signal, the signature and the code. They are compared with the stored signature and code to check the provenance of the material.

Identifying material using a watermark and a signature

A signal processing system comprises a recorder () for recording information signals representing video audio and/or data material on a tape (). The recorder () generates () first material identifiers for identifying respective pieces of material on the medium such that each piece is differentiated from other pieces on the medium, and generates second, universally unique, identifiers for pieces of material, the second identifiers being associated with the first identifiers. The recorder (FIG.) records the material on successive slant tracks. A slant track stores a video timecode. At least one linear track stores a linear track timecode. The timecodes each have a plurality of user-definable bits. The material identifiers () are stored in the user-definable bits of the slant track timecode and in the user-definable bits of the linear track timecode. The identifiers associate the material with metadata objects. The metadata objects are repeatedly recorded (FIG.)on the tape. The metadata objects are recorded a number of times corresponding to the relative importance of the metadata objects. [FIGS.and]

Identifying, recording and reproducing information

A media handling system in which candidate video sequences are displayed on a display screen in schematic form for selection by a user comprises means for detecting human faces in the candidate video sequences; a display screen for displaying representations of the candidate video sequences for selection by a user, each representation including one or more images representing human faces derived from the respective video sequences; and a user control for defining a set of one or more of the video sequences.

Media handling system

A processor () is provided for processing identifiers of video and/or audio material. The processor is for use with a video and/or audio material processing device. The device has a plurality of inputs (IN) for receiving respective pieces of material to be processed, the pieces having respective identifiers, and an output (OUT) at which is output processed material, which is a combination of the input material, and a state output at which data defining the state of the device is output. The processor is arranged to: detect () the identifiers of the input material; determine () from the state data the combination of the input material forming the output material; generate () an identifier for the output material; and associate the identifier of the output material with the identifiers of the input material used to form the output material. Identifiers preferably indicate whether the material emanates from a recorder or from a live source.

Identifying and processing of audio and/or video material

A camera-recorder apparatus comprises an image capture device operable to capture a plurality of video images; a storage medium by which the video images are stored for later retrieval; a feature extraction unit operable to derive image property data from the image content of at least one of the video images substantially in real time at the capture of the video images, the image property data being associated with respective images or groups of images; and a data path by which the camera-recorder apparatus is operable to transfer the derived image property data to an external data processing apparatus.

Video and audio information processing

A method of facilitating identification of audio and/or video productions, comprising the steps of maintaining a register of unique program identification codes which identify corresponding audio/video productions, assigning a new unique program identification code on request from a producer of a new audio/video production, and up-dating the register with the new unique program identification code in association with the new audio/video production. The unique identification code may be a UPID or the like. The method includes acquiring items of audio/video material for use in forming the new audio/video production, generating during the step of acquiring the audio/video material items a unique identifying code for each of the audio/video material items, and populating the register with the unique identifying codes in association with the unique program identification code. The unique identifying code may be a UMID or the like.

Audio/video production method

An apparatus for embedding data in information material, the data being a plurality of data items each having a different relative importance. The apparatus comprises an encoding processor operable to encode each of said data items, and a combining processor operable to combine said encoded data items with said information material. The information material provides a limited data embedding capacity, as a result for example of the limited bandwidth of the information material itself. Each of the data items are encoded and embedded to the effect that a proportion of the limited data embedding capacity is allocated to the encoded data items in accordance with the relative importance of these data items. As such, for example, an amount of error protection given to each of the data items can be arranged in accordance with the importance of the data items, whilst still satisfying the limited data embedding capacity. Accordingly, a greater amount of protection can be provided to the more important data items, thereby making these items more robust with respect to any processing of the information material and more likely to be recovered correctly.

Methods and apparatus for embedding data and for detecting and recovering embedded data

A video information retrieval system comprising a client system having a request issuer for issuing a search request in respect of desired video material; and a video accessor for accessing video material on the basis of a uniform resource locator (URL) and a SMPTE unique material identifier (UMID). The retrieval system also comprising a server system having access to one or more databases containing metadata information relating to a plurality of video material items, a UMID associated with each video material item and at least one URL associated with each UMID. A receiver is provided for receiving a search request from the client system and detecting one or more video material items for which metadata information stored in at least one of the database(s) substantially corresponds to the search request. An information supplier supplies the metadata information, the URL and the UMID relating to the one or more detected video material items to the client system. The server system has at least one video repository having: a video storage arrangement storing video material and associated UMID data. The metadata, the URL and the UMID are communicated between the server and the client using a markup language having descriptors for data content.

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Farnham, United Kingdom

Morgan William Amos David