Abstract:
Disc burner software is known that generates only a second generation disc from an original or first generation disc by adding to the second generation a copy protection indication. According to the present invention, an original disc includes normal program files, and in addition, also includes the copy protection indication. When an attempt is made to copy such a disc using the disc burner software, the software will not make a second generation copy because it will mistakenly identify the original disc as a copy.
Abstract:
Content is distributed from a source (22) to a sink (26) only if the sink is within a predetermined distance from a source (22). Furthermore, a control signal is sent over a limited range channel to the sink and the content is then sent only if the control signal is received properly by the sink. The content (210) is also sent to the sink, but the sink cannot decode the content unless it has a proper copy of the decoding key. The control signal can be sent over a wireless channel, an IR channel, or an AC line. The content (210) is sent over the Internet, either using a standard wired channel over a wireless channel.
Abstract:
VEIL modulation is a method of "subliminal" encoding of data in a video image that is similar to a watermark. The encoding (14) consists of alternately proportionately raised and lowered luminance on selected horizontal scan lines. The encoding can be detected using a notch filter (10) centered at half the line frequency. The encoding is lost, however, if the resolution of thee video signal is changed downward. The invention preserves the encoding by coding alternate groups of lines, not alternate lines. This allows detection with a notch filter even after a reduction in resolution.
Abstract:
An apparatus for processing data and content includes at least one drive and a player (that may be implemented by software). At least some of the content is protected using a content scrambling scheme such as audio or video watermarking. The drive and player cooperate to operate in a lockable mode wherein if protected content is provided to the drive, the drive and player are interlocked so that the content is presented by the player only in accordance with consistent with protection scheme being used, and cannot be presented by any other player. Moreover, in the locked mode, protected content may not be accepted from any other drive. The drive and player are switched to an unlocked mode by presenting to the drive unprotected content.
Abstract:
A method for simulating motion of cloth or other flexible membranes corrects surface-to-surface intersection involving a membrane. The method may be applied at time intervals of a conventional motion simulation for computer-generated animation. When a collision is detected, a function for a line of intersection between intersecting surfaces is parameterized in terms of vertices of the membrane model. The function is differentiated, and a correction factor is applied to the dynamic simulation in proportion to the value of the partial derivative for respected ones of the intersected vertices. The correction factor may be smoothed over a number of vertices in the vicinity of the intersected vertices.
Abstract:
A program includes sequential program segments, commercial segments, segment dividers delimiting the program and commercial segments and extraneous signals inserted into the segments. The extraneous signais are selected to mimic segment dividers and thus discourage recording of the program by a commercial skipping recorder device.
Abstract:
Images may be registered using temporal (time-based) and spatial information. In a film implementation, because film is a sequence of frames, using information from neighboring frames may enable a temporally smoother visual experience. In addition, it may be beneficial to take advantage of the fact that consecutive frames are often shifted similarly during the photographic process. Distortion measures may be used that discount candidate transformations that are considered to be too far from one or more preferred transformations, such as, for example, an optimal transformation from another frame or block or a currently-optimal transformation from the same frame/block. Composite color images may be processed to provide registration of underlying components.
Abstract:
A system and method described herein provide stereoscopic video using standard DVD video data combined with enhancement data. In various embodiments, the enhancement data may be stored on the same DVD as the standard video, or provided via downloading and/or streaming to a stereoscopic DVD player. When stored on the DVD, the enhancement data is provided in various forms, including MPEG (-1 or -2) program stream level; or the MPEG elementary stream level. In one embodiment, the enhancement data consists of a difference signal between left- and right-eye images taken on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The present invention also pertains to an optical disc player with a standard digital port, such as a USB port, coupled to an external storage, such as a thumb drive, coupled to a standard digital port such as a USB port. The external storage may also be used to provide content, commands or applications that enable the player to present certain additional content, or to perform certain additional or enhanced functions. The additional content may be obtained using a Universal Resource Identifier.
Abstract:
A disc burner receives a disc to be copied and checks whether it is an original disc or a recordable disc. If it is an original disc, its contents are copied with a copy protection indication. If it is a recordable disc, a check is performed to determine if it has a copy protection indication and copying is performed only if allowed by said copy protection indication.
Abstract:
An apparatus generating audio cues for content indicative of the position of audio objects within the content comprising: an audio processor receiving raw audio tracks for said content and information indicative of the positions of at least some of said audio tracks within frames of said content, said audio processor generating corresponding audio parameters; an authoring tool receiving said audio parameters and generating encoding coefficients, said audio parameters including audio cue of the position of audio objects corresponding to said tracks in at least one spatial dimension; and a first audio/video encoder receiving an input and encoding said input into an audio visual content having visual objects and audio objects, said audio objects being disposed at location corresponding to said one spatial position, said encoder using said encoding coefficients for said encoding.