International Business Machines Corporation

Shu-Chun Jeane Chen

Keeranoor G Kumar

Jai P Menon

Liang-Jie Zhang

James Sargent Lipscomb

Sih-Pin Subrina Chang

Edward Charles Snible

Arun Ramchandra

Shang Qing Guo

Hua Chen

Kshitij M Vichare

Pierre Darmon

Lurng-Kuo Liu

Samuel C-c Tseng

Robert C Plotkin

Ephriam Feig

Eric H Hoffman

Video, stills, panorama, sound and all forms of media as Rich Media in a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file editable with a Rich Media Content description file. The Rich Media Content description file enables users to specify a vocabulary that defines the media elements and relations among the media elements thereby permitting the users to easily create and edit the Rich Media Content and compose various raw or compressed Rich Media components using any text editor. A multimedia authoring server side processor accepts the raw formatted Rich Media Content along with description text file in XML format and outputs the Rich Media, text and graphic components as an edited MVR file in accordance with user's design for execution on a multimedia player.

XML-based textual specification for rich-media content creation-systems and program products

XML-based textual specification for rich-media content creation&#x2014;methods

A method is disclosed for enforcing the sequential playback of a multimedia file. In one aspect of the method, a sending server stores a multimedia file which is then partitioned into a plurality of sequential data blocks. The server generates a plurality of enabling tokens each corresponding to one of the plurality of sequential data blocks. The server then encodes each respective one of the pluralities of sequential data blocks with a corresponding one of the plurality of enabling tokens, producing a plurality of encoded sequential data blocks. The server then transfers the encoded sequential data blocks to a receiving client. The server also transfers the plurality of enabling tokens to the receiving client. In this manner, the server retains control over the client receiver's playback of the multimedia file.

Digital media delivery with local cache and streaming tokens

A system, method and program product uses tags as markers for incorporating local content in a communications stream, e.g., TV broadcast, cable transmission. A transmitter generates a communication stream including program content for transmission to a receiver. The transmitter includes an authoring tool for generating two types of tags for incorporation into the program content. The receiver captures the program content and stores the tags in tables. One type of tag initiates local action in the program content in the communication stream. A second type of tag is capable of modifying the first type of tag in the tables. When the time for a local action according to a first type of tag is detected, the program content is interrupted by splicing or inserting the local content.

Enhanced TV broadcasting method and system using tags for incorporating local content into a program data stream

Techniques are provided for managing the creation, storage, search and delivery of rich media optimized for e-commerce in a distributed information network, e.g., the Internet. In an illustrative embodiment, a content creation phase generates rich media content in a single multimedia file in the format of a HotMedia file for delivery to a Rich Media Build Engine (RMBE). Rich media content is extracted from the file using pluggable and modular extractors providing an input to a commerce-based search engine and a full-text search engine. The outputs of the search engine are combined as a search result from which a searchable database directory is created. The output is stored in a conventional database, e.g., DB2. A web client is coupled to the search system through a web server providing a search query to the rich media database and receiving an output from the search engine.

System and method for management, creation, storage, search and delivery of rich media optimized for e-commerce in a distributed information network

The present invention is directed to a system and method of reconciling multiple control inputs to a processor and controlling an output in an interface. The method provides a degraded output response when the control inputs are asserted simultaneously, and provides an increased output response when the inputs act individually and alternately. This system and method acts to provide feedback to the operator or operators controlling the inputs so as to encourage the operator(s) to assert the inputs individually, and discourage the operator(s) from asserting the inputs simultaneously.

System and method for reconciling multiple inputs

A system and method composes heterogeneous media components into a unified environment for rich spatio-temporal hotlink authoring and action enablement in low-bandwidth presentations. The media client master coupled to the server receives a first heterogeneous media file. The master parses the file to identify the various media tracks in the file, their types, and the object which would render them. When the master encounters a media frame, an internal table is checked to verify whether a media object has been instantiated to handle the corresponding media track. If not, the master fetches the appropriate object from the server and instantiates the object in the media track. The master verifies the frame to determine if an action enablement kernel has been created. If not, the master fetches the appropriate object from the server and instantiates the object in the frame, to activate an action enabler for display of the action.

System and method for composing heterogeneous media components into a unified environment for rich spatio-temporal hotlink authoring and action enablement in low-bandwidth presentations

A system and method for unifying hotspot subject to non-linear transformation and interpolation in heterogeneous media representations includes a content creator for creating Rich Media, e.g. stills, animation, panorama and a delivery system including an action handler for responding to a hotspot in the Rich Media when selected by a user interacting with a projected image display. The hotspot is expressed in the media as an area defined in terms of a Euclidean, rectangular coordinate system for transformation and mapping of the media image hotspot coordinates into corresponding coordinates of a hotspot location in the projected image display. Unfortunately, the image coordinates in the media do not necessarily map directly into corresponding coordinates in the projected image. Flat media images can be linearly transformed to projected image coordinates. However, panorama media require non-linear transformation of media coordinated to projected image coordinates. The coordinates for the media hotspot are stored in a centralized action handler independent of the non-linearities in the media. As a result of a user selecting or picking a hotspot in the projected image, the pick may fall outside of the corresponding hotspot in the case of non-linear media. The hotspot in the media and the projected image may be unified by increasing the number of points in the area geometry which makes more reliable that a pick in the projected image hotspot will fall within the hotspot area in the media. When the projected image hotspot is picked by a mouse or other input device, a signal is transmitted to the media indicating the coordinates of the input device with respect to the media. The media transforms the input coordinates and queries the action handler for a stored hotspot at the location of the input device. The action handler returns the hotspot, if any at the queried location The media displays the hotspot, if any at the location and the input device location on the media. When the pick falls within the media hotspot area and is actuated, the action handler initiates events associated with the picked hotspot in the projected image.

System and method for unifying hotspots subject to non-linear transformation and interpolation in heterogeneous media representations

A method of data compression which allows an enlarged font of complex characters to be produced by scaling from data representing a stored font of complex characters is disclosed. The scaling procedure involves the insertion of horizontal and vertical lines into the stored font to effect vertical and horizontal expansion, respectively, of the stored font. These lines are inserted so as to preserve the basic shape of the characters according to the following procedure. First, the dot matrix of each character is partitioned into sections, each containing a very pronounced and recognizable portion of the character. Then a decision is made in which sections to insert lines so that enlargement is attained without distorting the basic overall shape of the character. Next, a decision is made where in the sections the lines are to be inserted. Finally, a decision is made as to what the inserted lines are to look like. The results of these decisions are stored with data representing the stored font as side information so that an enlarged version of the font can be generated on the fly without need of arithmetic processing. A refinement of this basic technique additionally stores a sparse matrix containing the error of the generated matrix as compared with the original one. This additional information permits the generation of the exact duplicate of the original font.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Shu-Chun Jeane Chen