Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

Yoshifumi Yanagawa

Chiyoko Matsumi

Ian Cameron Mercer

Nobuyasu Takeguchi

Kevin Leigh LaChapelle

Harutoshi Miyamoto

Tadashi Kunihira

Yasuyuki Torii

Keisuke Matsuo

Toshihiko Mizukami

Masazumi Yamada

Hiroyuki Iitsuka

Akihiro Takeuchi

Katsumi Gotoh

Masahiro Motosugi

Masaaki Kobayashi

Harold Aaron Ludtke

Masafumi Shimotashiro

Akira Iketani

Hiroshi Mitani

Hidetoshi Takeda

Yasuo Hamamoto

Seiichi Suzuki

Kenji Matsuura

Tetsuji Abe

Joseph Alexander Dara-Abrams

Makoto Goto

Chikako Tada

Hiroyuki Uenaka

Neil David Matthews

Takahiko Nanko

Thomas Edward Birmingham

Wim Bronnenberg

Optimizing operation of a media player during rendering of media files. The invention includes authoring software to create a data structure and to populate the created data structure with obtained metadata. The invention also includes rendering software to retrieve the metadata from the data structure and to identify media files to render. In one embodiment, the invention is operable as part of a compressed media format having a set of small files containing metadata, menus, and playlists in a compiled binary format designed for playback on feature-rich personal computer media players as well as low cost media players.

Optimizing media player memory during rendering

Grouping media files via playlists on a computer-readable medium. One or more media files are selected according to a grouping criterion to define one or more playlists from the media files. A container group is associated with the playlists and stores values identifying each of the playlists associated with the container group along with references to each of the playlists.

Navigating media content by groups

Grouping media files via playlists on a computer-readable medium. One or more media files are selected according to a grouping criterion to define one or more playlists from the media files. A folder is associated with the playlists and stores values identifying each of the playlists associated with the folder along with references to each of the playlists.

Creating and displaying an adaptive menu structure for media files. The invention includes authoring software to create the menu structure to enable a user to navigate the media files using a media player. The invention also includes filtering software to adapt the created menu structure to display menu information on a display associated with the media player as a function of a media type associated with the media player. In one embodiment, the invention is operable as part of a compressed media format having a set of small files containing metadata, menus, and playlists in a compiled binary format designed for playback on feature-rich personal computer media players as well as low cost media players.

Adaptive menu system for media players

A network control system which transmits mass data efficiently, speedily, and reliably, and which includes a controller that can easily decide what a target has transmitted. The controller and the target are used in this network control system. The network control system includes the a controller for transmitting a message, the target for performing processing according to the message, and an initiator for establishing a connection for data transmission between the controller and the target, and the system performs data transmission by using plural protocols. Either or both of the controller and the target is/are present in a device, and the target is constructed so as to receive a message by a first one of the plural protocols and to transmit data onto the connection by a second one of the plural protocols according to the received message.

Network control system, and controller, target and consumer for use in the network control system

Grouping and navigating media files within a playlist on a computer-readable medium. Invention software selects media files according to a grouping criterion to define a group from the media files. The invention software generates a group header associated with the group. The group header includes a value identifying the defined group and a reference to another group to enable navigation. The invention software stores the selected media files, the playlist, the defined groups, and the associated group headers on a computer-readable medium. The invention software also includes playback software for navigating and selecting media files via groups within a playlist. In one embodiment, the invention is operable as part of a compressed media format having a set of small files containing metadata, menus, and playlists in a compiled binary formal designed for playback on feature-rich personal computer media players as well as low cost media players.

Navigating media content via groups within a playlist

In a network control system, a device has screen display data indicative of its operating screen, and a controller issues a screen request () to obtain the screen display data, etc., as screen information () from the device. By using the screen display data, etc., the controller displays the operating screen. When an operation is carried out to the operating screen, its operation information and identification information of the screen display data are sent to the device as operation request (). The device executes a function corresponding to the operation request. As a result, when the screen display data in the device is changed, the device sends the changed screen display data, etc., to the controller as screen information ().

Network control system

The present invention relates to an AV network construction apparatus A, comprising: a 1394 link for connecting lines employing an interface of IEEE1394 standard, an information receiving/transmitting means , a protocol processing means , a virtual device function processing means , an integration management means for activating or terminating the virtual device function processing means , an OS for activating a pc , and a PC device driver for activating a peripheral device M, and a method for constructing such a virtual AV network construction, and a recording medium containing a program concerning the virtual AV network construction method.

Virtual AV network building device, virtual AV network building method, and recorded medium on which program concerning virtual AV network building method is recorded

When a plurality of display parts, or icons, such as &ldquo;play&rdquo; or &ldquo;stop&rdquo; are displayed on a screen, information about the positional relationship in which these icons will be laid out on the screen is first assigned as an attribute of each icon. Also, using a certain icon as a reference, information about the layout of the icons, such as whether they are above, below, to the left, or to the right of this icon, is assigned as an attribute of the icon serving as the reference. In this way it is possible to vary the layout of a display according to the size of the display screen.

Network control system, controller, and device

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Yoshifumi Yanagawa