A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices having independent clocking arrangements. A task distribution device is to distribute tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices to perform tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to synchrony group members over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which synchrony group members are to execute the task. Each synchrony group member periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

System and method for synchronizing operations among a plurality of independently clocked digital data processing devices

A display apparatus includes a passive display, a light source, and a video signal input, in operation in response to a video signal the passive display modulates light from the light source to provide an image, and the intensity of the light source is controlled by the video signal. A method of producing a displayed image using a passive display illuminated by a light source is characterized in controlling the light source to obtain a displayed image with a desired amount of information, gray scale and/or color characteristics. A method of reducing power consumption by a display system in which a light modulating display modulates incident light from a light source to provide images is characterized in controlling power provided to the light source to reduce output thereof for relatively dark images.

Optical display system and method, active and passive dithering using birefringence, color image superpositioning and display enhancement with phase coordinated polarization switching

The present invention includes a system and method for combining television broadcast programming content with customized or personalized information and educational or entertainment content. The system includes a set-top box capable of receiving data transmissions and locally rendering video animation for display with, instead of and/or synchronized with television broadcast programs in a way that the television viewer sees a coherent seamless merging of the television program content and supplemental content sources in an indistinguishable format. Preferably, the viewer may interact in real-time with the enhanced television programming to provide a higher level of engagement and customization potential.

Enhanced custom content television

An LCD groups pixels in each row into a plurality of blocks, and calculates difference in gray between every two image data applied to a pair of adjacent odd and even pixels in each block including pixels in a row for each of first to third colors. It is determined that a block is first or second dot block depending on a sign of the gray difference when a magnitude of the gray difference between the odd pixel and the even pixel in each pair in the block for at least one color is equal to or larger than a critical value. A current block in a current row and in columns is determined to be a one-dot block when the current block is the first dot block and a previous block in a previous row and in the columns is the second dot block. When the number of the one-dot blocks is a predetermined percentage of the number of the total blocks, it is determined that a one-dot pattern is generated and one-dot inversion of the LCD is changed into another inversion. In this way, a pattern generating flicker is determined and the inversion type is changed for reducing the flicker.

Liquid crystal display and driving method thereof

A BD-ROM stores PlayList information. The PlayList information defines a playback section of each of a plurality of AV clips and includes MainPath information and SubPath information. The MainPath information designates one of the AV clips as a Main Clip and defines a portion of the Main Clip as a primary playback section. The SubPath information designates another one of the AV clips as a SubClip and defines a portion of the SubClip as a secondary playback section that is to be played back in synchronism with the primary playback section. The BD-ROM stores, the one of the AV clips designated as the SubClip along with an EP_map. The EP_map shows a plurality of entry points on the SubClip in a one-to-one correspondence with entry times on the SubClip timeline.

Recording medium, reproduction device, program, and reproduction method

Optical discs formatted to record plural audio streams of different content for reproduction with a single video stream can result in audio output of content unexpected by the user depending upon the audio stream configuration contained in the AV stream reproduced. This can confuse and cause the user to change the audio output after reproduction starts. To prevent this, information indicating the type of audio stream configuration contained in each AV stream on the optical disc is stored with each audio stream. This audio stream type information is presented to the user on the same screen from which an AV program is selected for playback. The user can thus know before playback starts what audio stream channel is preselected for playback, and can change the audio channel as desired before playback starts.

Optical disc, recording device and reproducing device

The invention provides an information recording medium, such as an optical disk, having a large capacity and being capable of performing read/write operations at high speeds. The recording medium includes an audio stream prepared for after-recording data, and a audio attribute information having a bit rate information to the recorded audio stream as a management information. A recorder according to the invention has a check unit for checking, in advance, the possibility of after-recording operation of the recorder to the audio stream to be after-recorded with reference to the bit rate information of the audio attribute information.

Information recording medium apparatus and method for performing after-recording on the recording medium

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make automatically selectable sound streams to be reproduced in accordance with a user's set select information by showing whether an application flag of management information is dual monaural sound data whereby either one of a first and a second sound channel data is selectively reproduced, or stereo sound data whereby both channel data are simultaneously reproduced, and the like. SOLUTION: An encoder part 7804 encodes input signals from an input part 7803, transfers AV stream data to a track buffer 7807 and notifies sound channel information to a system control part 7802. The system control part 7802 controls a drive 7808 to record the AV stream data of the track buffer 7807 to a DVD- RAM and record management information for recorded AV streams to an RTR.IFO file of the DVD-RAM. At this time, user's favorite sound channel information recorded to a memory PR-FLG is recorded to the RTR.IFO file.

Optical disk and recording apparatus and reproducing apparatus therefor

The present invention provides an information recording medium suitable for an optical disc such as DVD, which is capable of reading quickly the recording time information of the video data for displaying on the menu. The recording medium stores management information (RTR.IFO) for each stream data. The management information includes a recording time information (VOB_REC_TM) that has a date and time at which the head video frame of the stream data is recorded. The management information also has an error information (VOB_REC_TM_SUB) indicative of error or fraction of the recording time information which indicates a time less than 1 second and is generated on edit operations including partial deletion.

Information recording medium, apparatus and method for recording or reproducing the recording medium

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording and reproducing device that can reproduce a disk from arbitrary plunging points in reproduction routes having plural logical meanings to be performed in an optical disk recording and reproducing device SOLUTION: This optical disk recording and reproducing device has independent plural reproduction route information and management information of plural reproduction plunging points (entry points) for every reproduction route information and realizes the utilizing of the randomness peculiar to disks

Noriko Sugimoto

Papers

Optical disc, recording device and reproducing device

Information recording medium apparatus and method for performing after-recording on the recording medium

Optical disk and recording apparatus and reproducing apparatus therefor

Information recording medium, apparatus and method for recording or reproducing the recording medium

Optical disk, optical disk recording and reproducing device, and optical disk recording and reproducing method