A system of distributing video and/or audio information employs digital signal processing to achieve high rates of data compression. The compressed and encoded audio and/or video information is sent over standard telephone, cable or satellite broadcast channels to a receiver specified by a subscriber of the service, preferably in less than real time, for later playback and optional recording on standard audio and/or video tape.

Audio and video transmission and receiving system

A video image based control system including a video camera scans a field of view and generates video signals representing the captured image of the field of view The video signals are applied to a digitizer which converts the video signal into digital information The digital information is conveyed to a computer and stored The computer then performs an AND function on the stored digital information and on bitmaps stored in the computer memory associated with predefined areas of interest in the field of view of the video camera to determine whether a participant in the field of view is positioned so that at least a portion of the participant is located in an area of interest If the participant is detected as being within an area of interest, the computer determines the proportion of the area of interest obscured by the participant and generates a control signal having a value dependant on the proportion of the area of interest obscured by the participant The control signal is then applied to a dependant control device In addition, the computer provides signals to a display representing the captured image superimposed on another image showing the areas of interest within the field of view to provide visual feedback to the participant In this manner, the participant is capable of controlling the operation of the dependant control through movement within the field of view of the video camera

Video image based control system

A three-dimension distance time-of-flight system is disclosed in which distance values are acquired by a plurality of sensors independently from each other. For use with this and similar systems, Z-distance accuracy and resolution are enhanced using various techniques including over-sampling acquired sensor data and forming running averages, or forming moving averages. Acquired data may be rejected if it fails to meet criteria associated with distance, luminosity, velocity, or estimated shape information reported by neighboring sensors. A sub-target having at least one pre-calibrated reflectance zone is used to improve system measurement accuracy. Elliptical error is corrected for using a disclosed method, and reversible mapping of Z-values into RGB is provided.

Methods for enhancing performance and data acquired from three-dimensional image systems

A system and method for transferring video programs from a first location to a remote location provides for communication of the programs over selected commercial telephone networks. The program signals are digitized, compressed, and stored at the first location, and transferred to the remote location on request of a viewer. Due to the compression of the program, the time required for electronically transferring the program to the remote location is much less than the viewing time for such program. The compressed program is reconstructed at the remote location for viewing on available video display devices.

Store and forward video system

The invention facilitates and enhances review of a body of information (that can be represented by a set of audio data, video data, text data or some combination of the three), enabling the body of information to be quickly reviewed to obtain an overview of the content of the body of information and allowing flexibility in the manner in which the body of information is reviewed. In a particular application of the invention, the content of audiovisual news programs is acquired from a first set of one or more information sources (e.g., television news programs) and text news stories are acquired from a second set of one or more information sources (e.g., on-line news services or news wire services). In such a particular application, the invention can enable the user to access the news stories of audiovisual news programs in a random manner so that the user can move quickly among news stories or news programs. The invention can also enable the user to quickly locate news stories pertaining to a particular subject. Additionally, when the user is observing a particular news story in a news program, the invention can identify and display related news stories. The invention can also enable the user to control the display of the news programs by, for example, speeding up the display, causing a summary of one or more news stories to be displayed, or pausing the display of the news stories. Additionally, the invention can indicate to the user which news story is currently being viewed, as well as which news stories have previously been viewed.

Browser for use in navigating a body of information, with particular application to browsing information represented by audiovisual data

At least one selected image of a digital video signal is encoded at multiple levels of resolution. For each level of resolution, a correction image is formed by subtracting the value of each pixel in a reference image of that resolution level from the value of each corresponding pixel in the selected image of that resolution level. The correction image is quantized and encoded. A decoder decodes the encoded quantized correction image for each resolution level. The value of each pixel in the decoded correction image having the lowest resolution is added to the value of each corresponding pixel of a reference image having the same resolution to form a result image of the lowest resolution. This result image is expanded to the next higher level of resolution. The value of each pixel in the expanded result image is added to the value of each corresponding pixel in the decoded correction image of the same resolution level to form a result image of that resolution level. This process is continued until each pixel value in the expanded result image, which has been expanded to full resolution, is added to the value of each corresponding pixel in the full resolution decoded correction image to form the final image which is stored in memory for subsequence display.

Method and apparatus for selectively encoding and decoding a digital motion video signal at multiple resolution levels

A full motion color digital video signal is compressed, formatted for transmission, recorded on compact disc media and decoded at conventional video frame rates. During compression, regions of a frame are individually analyzed to select optimum fill coding methods specific to each region. Region decoding time estimates are made to optimize compression thresholds. Region descriptive codes conveying the size and locations of the regions are grouped together in a first segment of a data stream. Region fill codes conveying pixel amplitude indications for the regions are grouped together according to fill code type and placed in other segments of the data stream. The data stream segments are individually variable length coded according to their respective statistical distributions and formatted to form data frames. The number of bytes per frame is dithered by the addition of auxiliary data determined by a reverse frame sequence analysis to provide an average number selected to minimize pauses of the compact disc during playback thereby avoiding unpredictable seek mode latency periods characteristic of compact discs. A decoder includes a variable length decoder responsive to statistical information in the code stream for separately variable length decoding individual segments of the data stream. Region location data is derived from region descriptive data and applied with region fill codes to a plurality of region specific decoders selected by detection of the fill code type (e.g., relative, absolute, dyad and DPCM) and decoded region pixels are stored in a bit map for subsequent display.

Adaptive digital video compression system

A full motion color digital video signal is compressed, formatted for transmission, recorded on compact disc media and decoded at conventional video frame rates. During compression, regions of a frame are individually analyzed to select optimum fill coding methods specific to each region. Region decoding time estimates are made to optimize compression thresholds. Region descriptive codes conveying the size and locations of the regions are grouped together in a first segment of a data stream. Region fill codes conveying pixel amplitude indications for the regions are grouped together according to fill code type and placed in other segments of the data stream. The data stream segments are individually variable length coded according to their respective statistical distributions and formatted to form data frames. The number of bytes per frame is dithered by the addition of auxiliary data determined by a reverse frame sequence analysis to provide an average number selected to minimize pauses of the compact disc during playback thereby avoiding unpredictable seek mode latency periods characteristic of compact discs. A decoder includes a variable length decoder responsive to statistical information in the code stream for separately variable length decoding individual segments of the data stream. Region location data is derived from region descriptive data and applied with region fill codes to a plurality of regions specific decoders selected by detection of the fill code type (e.g., relative, absolute, dyad and DPCM) and decoded region pixels are stored in a bit map for subsequent display.

Digital video formatting and transmission system and method

A full motion color digital video signal is compressed, formatted for transmission, recorded on compact disc media and decoded at conventional video frame rates. During compression, regions of a frame are individually analyzed to select optimum fill coding methods specific to each region. Region decoding time estimates are made to optimize compression thresholds. Region descriptive codes conveying the size and locations of the regions are grouped together in a first segment of a data stream. Region fill codes conveying pixel amplitude indications for the regions are grouped together according to fill code type and placed in other segments of the data stream. The data stream segments are individually variable length coded according to their respective statistical distributions and formatted to form data frames. The number of bytes per frame is dithered by the addition of auxiliary data determined by a reverse frame sequence analysis to provided an average number selected to minimize pauses of the compact disc during playback thereby avoiding unpredicatable seek mode latency periods characteristic of compact discs. A decoder includes a variable length decoder responsive to statistical information in the code stream for separately variable length decoding individual segments of the data stream. Region location data is derived from region descriptive data and applied with region fill codes to a plurality of region specific decoders selected by detection of the fill code type (e.g., relative, absolute, dyad and DPCM) and decoded region pixels are stored in a bit map for subsequent display.

Adaptive video compression system

In a method of encoding a sequence of images of a digital motion video signal, information regarding future images in the image sequence is obtained by making an initial analysis of the image data before compression. The initial analysis provides information to the compression system regarding variations in complexity between images. This information is used to determine the setting of a compression controller. From this setting, other compression system thresholds and quantizers are scaled. In addition, the initial analysis provides qualitative information regarding events such as scene changes, brief periods of rapid motion, dissolves, wipes, and the appearance of a single anomalous image.

Stuart J. Golin

Papers

Method and apparatus for selectively encoding and decoding a digital motion video signal at multiple resolution levels

Adaptive digital video compression system

Digital video formatting and transmission system and method

Adaptive video compression system

Method for encoding a sequence of images of a digital motion video signal