Method and apparatus for synchronizing dynamic graphics

• US 20030222994A1
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation Of America (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dawson, Thomas Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,530,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/247
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91357 by modifying the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for overlaying parts of a displayed presentation of a video by using graphic content rendered by a receiving device such as a set top box or television to complete a displayed presentation of the video. The apparatus receiving frame synchronizing information from a content provider and then conveying the frame synchronizing information as a graphic overlay to the video. The frame synchronizing information comprises frame starting identifier data, frame ending identifier and positional information for describing frame locations and frame timing for overlaying the graphic content and positional information to indicate were to place the graphic content to be overlaid. The frame synchronizing information provides the information necessary to place graphic content, such as a graphic image or graphic animation, at specified positions that are synchronized to the displayed presentation. The same method also enables audio information to be synchronized. The graphic content supplied may include a block of pixel data, an image, an animation or an audio clip.

Claims