Sony Electronics Inc

Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation of America

Sony Corporation of Japan

Sony Corporation of Japan and Sony Electronics, Inc.

Robert W Duffy

Michael T MacKay

David L Rossmere

William Blake Brown

Robert Samuel Glenn, Jr

William S Herz

John B Carlucci

Lee A Cotterill

Joe McArdle

Robert J Berger

O F Morgan

Ted E Langford

John Bryan Carluci

Darin Fong

Nancy Craighill

A random access audio/video processor having multiple outputs is disclosed. The processor includes a main control unit with analog video and audio back panels, an analog input/output board, audio and video processing boards, video effects board, synchronization board, and a system board (containing the main CPU). The video processing board includes a compressor for compressing input video signals, and triple transfer buffers for intermediate storage of digital video path. The video processing board further includes decompression circuits coupled to each of two triple transfer buffers for decompressing compressed stored video, and providing the decompressed video channels to an effects board for the addition of special effects. The audio processing board contains processors for compression, decompression, and effects, as well as triple transfer buffers. The triple transfer buffers include present, past, and future buffers which jointly operate to minimize discontinuities in the output channels. The invention provides an E to C mode to allow the user to preview video which has been compressed and decompressed to verify that no unwanted system artifacts exist, or are created by the compression process. This previewing is done in real-time while the material is being compressed and stored. A user may also bypass the compression circuit and capture uncompressed still frames directly in the triple transfer buffer, and store the uncompressed still frames, thereby permitting the independent display of still and motion video in each output channel.

Random access audio/video processor with compressed video resampling to

A computer controlled video re-editing system with a 'Domino' re-edit function. An edited video comprises a set of ordered video segments. In a video re-editing system a user can re-edit an edited video by adjusting the duration of each video segment. When a user adjusts the length of a video segment, the Domino re-edit function examines how the re-edit to the edited video work affects nearby video segments in the edited video work. The Domino re-edit function then propagates the effects of a re-edit by moving the nearby video segments forward or backward along a time line to accommodate the re-edit made. The Domino re-edit function utilizes any empty spaces that exist in an edited video work such that the empty spaces are filled before the effects of a re-edit are propagated to another video segment. If there is sufficient empty space between video segments, the effects of the re-edit cease propagating. To prevent a video segment from being moved by the Domino re-edit function, a user can 'lock' the video segment to a reference time line. To preserve a relative relationship between two video segments, a user can lock the two video segments together.

Block resizing function for multi-media editing which moves other blocks

A random access audio/video processor having multiple outputs is disclosed. The random access audio/video processor includes a main control unit having an analog video back panel, an analog audio back panel, an analog input/output (I/O) board. An audio processing board, a video processing board, a video effects board, a syncronization board, and a system board (containing the main CPU). The video processing board includes a compressor for compressing input video signals, and a triple transfer buffer, for intermediate storage of digital video path. The video processing board further includes decompression circuits coupled to each of two triple transfer buffers for decompressing compressed stored video, and providing the decompressed video channels to an effects board for the addition of special effects. The audio processing board contains four digital signal processors for audio compression, decompression, and effects processor. It also contains triple transfer buffers for intermediate storage of digital audio data. The system board contains the main CPU, DMA controllers and SCSI interfaces required to perform high speed audio-video data transfers to/from disk. The triple transfer buffers of the present invention include a present buffer, a past buffer and a future buffer, the purpose of which is to ensure that there is sufficient video and audio material in the present buffers to minimize any discontinuities in either the audio or the video channel outputs. The invention provides an E to C mode to allow the user to view video which has been compressed and decompressed to verify that no unwanted system artifacts exist or are being created by the compression process. The viewing of the compressed and decompressed material is done in real-time while the material is being compressed and stored. Under software control, a user may bypass the compression circuit and capture uncompressed still frames directly in the triple transfer buffer, and store the uncompressed still frames, thereby permitting the independent display of still and motion video in each respective output channel.

Random access audio/video processor with multiple outputs

A switch assembly that can vary at least two controllable parameters and can vary the upper, lower and any intermediary limits of the switch assembly. The switch assembly has a pair of nested coaxial rotary knobs each attached by shafts to sensors that determine the radial position of a reference point on each knob. The knobs rotate with respect to each other and are constructed to allow rotation of the knobs with one hand. The sensors are attached to the controls of the parameters, such that rotation of the knobs varies the output of the parameters. The sensors are coupled to a magnetic clutch that engages and prevents rotation of one of the knobs, when the knob is rotated into a predetermined radial position. A computer can be connected to the magnetic clutch and sensors. The computer receives input signals from the sensors and produces an output signal to the clutch, to engage the clutch and prevent rotation of the knob in accordance with a computer program.

Variable scale rotary switch

A computer editing system graphical user interface includes at least one central processing unit (CPU) coupled through appropriate input/output (I/O) circuitry to input devices, such as a cursor control device, and a display device. The CPU is further coupled to a storage device for the storage of data and programs including a database. The database comprises a plurality of source logs indicating a beginning point and an ending point defining all the available source material for the corresponding source log. An output sequence of selected source material is displayed on a timeline as source material blocks, wherein the source material blocks are defined by a head point and a tail point. Through the computer editing system, a user performs a variety of re-editing functions to trim existing source material and to insert new source material on the timeline. When performing a re-edit function, all available source material blocks for a source log selected for re-edit is displayed. The selected source block displayed is visually distinguished by size, color and relative layering. By distinguishing the selected source block for which re-edit is desired, the user is permitted to clearly view all the available source material for the selected source block.

Graphical user interface for displaying available source material for

A switch that can vary at least two controllable parameters and can vary the upper, lower and any intermediary limits of the switch. The switch has a pair of nested coaxial rotary knobs each attached by shafts to sensors that determine the radial position of a reference point on each knob. The knobs rotate with respect to each other and are constructed to allow rotation of the knobs with one hand. The sensors are attached to the controls of the parameters, such that rotation of the knobs varies the output of the parameters. The sensors are coupled to a magnetic clutch that engages and prevents rotation of one of the knobs, when the knob is rotated into a predetermined radial position. A computer can be connected to the magnetic clutch and sensors. The computer receives input signals from the sensors and produces an output signal to the clutch, to engage the clutch and prevent rotation of the knob in accordance with a computer program within the computer. The integration of a computer allows the limits of a switch to be controlled by changing the computer program. The switch has a button in the center that can be pushed in relative to the knobs. The button is attached by a shaft to a micromotion switch that can also be coupled to the computer. The button can be used as a start/stop switch, or to change the functions controlled by the knobs. The switch can also be constructed such that the knobs are connected to another sensor, such that the equipment can be immediately stopped by pusing the knobs down.

Multi-parameter variable scale rotary switch

The present invention provides apparatus and methods for a multi-dimensional user interface for use in audio visual production. A display system including a central processing unit (CPU) is coupled through appropriate input/output (I/O) circuitry to input devices, such as a keyboard, digital pad and/or track ball as well as a display device. The CPU is further coupled to a hard disk drive for the storage of programs and data, and is also coupled to a network through which the CPU may communicate with a variety of system resource devices such as editors, music synthesizers, graphics generators, scheduling resources, audio enhancement resources, etc. A user viewing the interface on the display may utilize one of the input devices, such as by way of example, the keyboard, to select, incorporate or otherwise integrate the various system resources to develop a unified multi-media production. The user interface of the present invention includes a control frame which in practice substantially fills all of the display screen of the display and is consistent for all user applications. The control frame is comprised of control panels which surround a variety of subwindows and acts as a consistent control area for all users of the interface. Once defined, elements may be selectively placed on an event horizon bar in the control frame. The placement of an element on the event horizon results in the display of timing data for the element, relative to other elements on the event horizon.

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Robert W Duffy