Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Richard David Gallery

Dale R Heron

Clive Van Heerden

Michael K Verhagen

Paul A Winser

Henricus Joseph Cornelus Kuijpers

Darragh Ballesty

Alex De Bruyn

A virtual environment browser () holds a number of clip-in files () defining guide characters&#x2014;locally generated visual aids to navigation that appear within a generated image of a virtual environment and follow a user's input () navigational commands to provide an advance cue as to the effects of an input command. Where the virtual environment data is supplied from a remote source () and includes () an indication of a preferred mode for navigating that environment, for example, flying or walking, the browser () detects this indication and automatically selects the appropriate guide character. Scaling () of the guide character to match the scale of the virtual environment, or such as to render the guide character unobtrusive, may also be provided.

Virtual environment navigation aid

A method of time-scale modification processing of frame-based digital audio signals based on Synchronous Overlap Addition in which an original frame of digital audio is copied, the original and copied frames are partly overlapped to give a desired new duration to within a predetermined tolerance, the extent of overlap is adjusted within the predetermined tolerance by reference to a cross correlation determination of the best match between the overlapping portions of the original and copied frame; and a new audio frame is generated from the non-overlapping portions of the original and copied frame and by cross-fading between the overlapping portions. To reduce the computational load, a profiling procedure is applied to the original and copied frame prior to cross correlation, such as to reduce the specification of each audio frame portion () to a finite array of values (), and the cross correlation is then performed in relation only to the pair of finite arrays of values. To further simplify computation, the values () are identified as maxima or minima for the signal and are both stored and processed as the only non-zero values in a matrix representation of the frame. A digital signal processing apparatus embodying this technique is also provided.

Audio signal time scale modification

Communication system and device for use with both a broadband distribution network and a telephone network

In an optical or magnetic disc audio system, during conventional play the audio is decoded and played from the disc (RDISC) under the direction of a presentation control (PC) and the subcodes indicating time on the disc, track number and so forth are generated. Depending on the system hardware, for some speeds and directions (other than normal play) it may not be possible to decode real subcodes from the disc, and an emulator module (EMU) is switched in at these times. The emulator (EMU) plays a virtual disc (VDISC) using a timer (TIM) and the table of contents (TOC) from the real disc. While the audio is not replayed, the track and time listing display (DISP) is kept up to date, with a typical update for each second of real disc play time. As an extension to this feature, the emulator module (EMU) periodically generates seek commands for the read head in relation to the real disc (RDISC) such that, when normal playback is resumed, there is minimal delay in locating the chosen audio.

Disc controlling apparatus for displaying the status of playback information

A data processing apparatus configured as a browser ( ) is described for use with a distributed database management utility ( ) which handles the accessing of data defining virtual environments via the Internet/World Wide Web ( ). Both browser ( ) and management utility ( ) maintain copies of data files obtained via the Web and passed to the browser, with a memory management stage ( ) detecting when apparatus memory reaches a predetermined level of fullness. Based on a stored and system-updated table ( ) identifying the passing of data files from management utility to browser, the memory manager ( ) identifies which of the management utility held copies of the files to delete in order to create memory space.

Distributed database access via virtual environment browser

A data browser is described for accessing data defining virtual environments via the Internet/World Wide Web. In conjunction with at least one store (,) of virtual environment assets, such as audio, video, graphics textures and so forth, a list (,) is maintained recording the identity of the stored assets received via the Web, suitably in the form of their respective URL's. Browser applications requiring assets from the store (,) scan the master list to determine whether a particular asset is already stored there on encountering a program requirement for that asset to avoid the need to access the remote source of asset data via the Web. Where the assets are distributed over more than one storage device (,), each device is suitably provided with such a contents list.

Data management within a virtual environment browser

A post-processing method and apparatus to produce focus/defocus effects in computer generated images of three dimensional objects. A convolution filter stores pixel values (V) and associated depth values (Z) with a filter kernel being selected from a look-up table in dependence of the depth of the centre pixel (Z.sub.c) in relation to a specified focus depth (P). To minimize spurious effects where filter kernels overlap objects at different depths in the image, an inhibition function stage varies the amount by which each pixel contributes to the kernel in dependence on that pixel's depth value (Z) and the centre pixel and focus depth values (Z.sub.c and P). Inhibition profiles over a range of contributing and centre pixel values are provided.

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Dublin, Ireland

Richard David Gallery