| Sony Europe Limited Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
| 20120016675 | BROADCAST SYSTEM USING TEXT TO SPEECH CONVERSION - A broadcast signal receiver comprises a text data receiver for receiving broadcast text data for display to a user in relation to a user interface; a text-to-speech (TTS) converter for converting received text data into an audio speech signal, the TTS converter being operable to detect whether a word for conversion is included in a stored list of words for conversion and, if so, to convert that word according to a conversion defined by the stored list; and if not, to convert that word according to a set of predetermined conversion rules; a conversion memory storing the list of words for conversion by the TTS converter; and an update receiver for receiving additional words and associated conversions for storage in the conversion memory. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120008803 | AUDIO PROCESSING WITH TIME ADVANCED INSERTED PAYLOAD SIGNAL - An audio processing apparatus for modifying a primary audio signal includes a modulator that increases or decreases a level of a noise signal generated by a noise generator, in response to an increase or a decrease of a detected signal level of the primary audio signal, to generate a modulated noise signal. The apparatus further includes a combiner that combines the primary audio signal and the modulated noise signal. The modulator operates, with respect to a signal delayer, to time-advance a decrease in the level of said noise signal based on a corresponding decrease in the signal level of the primary audio signal. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120002739 | DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A data processing apparatus maps input symbols to be communicated onto a predetermined number of carrier signals of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbol. The data processor includes an interleaver memory which reads-in the predetermined number of data symbols for mapping onto the OFDM carrier signals. The interleaver memory reads-out the data symbols on to the OFDM carriers to effect the mapping, the read-out being in a different order than the read-in, and the order being determined from a set of addresses. The set of addresses are generated from an address generator. The address generator includes a linear feedback shift register and a permutation circuit. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20110241782 | POWER AMPLIFIER - A power amplifier comprises a series stack of power amplifier devices, connected in parallel to the amplifier input for receiving an RF input signal, and having output terminals being connected in series to the amplifier output. An intermediate coupling capacitor is connected between each adjacent pair of power amplifier devices in the series stack of power amplifier devices for DC isolation of said power amplifier devices. This reduces the required DC supply voltage, as well as allowing shorting of individual power amplifier devices in response to variation in the DC supply voltage. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110209090 | DISPLAY DEVICE - A display device including a display driver configured to drive a display to display images, a controller configured to control the display driver to drive the display to display an array of selectable items, and a user interface including at least one movement sensor configured to determine movement of the user interface. The controller is configured to control the display driver to drive the display to display, at any one time, one item of the array of selectable items at an increased magnification greater than the remaining items of the array of selectable items and to selectively vary which item of the array of selectable items is displayed at increased magnification. The controller is configured to vary which item of the array of selectable items is displayed at increased magnification in response to movement determined by the at least one sensor. | 08-25-2011 |
| 20110202858 | CUSTOMISATION OF ACTIONS SELECTABLE BY A USER INTERFACE - A user interface in a computer apparatus may be customized by connection of a removable storage medium device to a storage medium interface of the computer apparatus. It is detected whether, in the storage medium thereof, there is stored customisation data that includes icon data and target data in respect of additional icons for the user interface. If so, user interface data in the computer apparatus is changed to include the icon data and target data in respect of the additional icons. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110202857 | CUSTOMISATION OF THE APPEARANCE OF A USER INTERFACE - A user interface in a computer apparatus may be customized by connection of a removable storage medium device to a storage medium interface of the computer apparatus. It is detected whether, in the storage medium thereof, there is stored customisation data that identifies a change to the appearance of the user interface, for example in the colours, textures, container-shape or font. If so, user interface data in the computer apparatus is changed to include the icon data and target data in respect of the additional icons. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110202753 | CUSTOMISATION OF NOTIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY A COMPUTER APPARATUS - A notification system in a computer apparatus may be customized by connection of a removable storage medium device to a storage medium interface of the computer apparatus. It is detected whether, in the storage medium thereof, there is stored customisation data that includes notification data of additional notifications. If so, the notification data in the computer apparatus is changed to include the notification data of additional notifications. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110202519 | CUSTOMISATION OF THE APPEARANCE OF A USER INTERFACE - A querying system in a computer apparatus may be customized by connection of a removable storage medium device to a storage medium interface of the computer apparatus. It is detected whether, in the storage medium thereof, there is stored customisation data that that indicates a change to the query engine data identifying locations where query messages are sent. If so, the query engine data in the computer apparatus is changed accordingly. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110162018 | AUDIOVISUAL MULTI-ROOM SUPPORT - The invention relates to providing audiovisual content on a network, and methods of transferring the audiovisual content between devices attached to the network. The methods involve accepting user input, at a first output device that is outputting audiovisual content, to select a second output device from the output devices associated with the network and subsequently outputting the audiovisual content on the second output device that is selected. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110162017 | AUDIOVISUAL MULTI-ROOM SUPPORT - The invention relates to providing audiovisual content on a network, and methods of transferring the audiovisual content between devices attached to the network. The methods involve accepting user input, at a first output device that is outputting audiovisual content, to select a second output device from the output devices associated with the network and subsequently outputting the audiovisual content on the second output device that is selected. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110085090 | TELEVISION DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATING A TELEVISION SYSTEM - A television display system with a television display for displaying television services and internet information, and an input unit for providing a command, the television display system receiving a data stream containing a plurality of key files, each key file including executable data and a respective key image representing said executable data. The television display system includes a memory for continuously maintaining over a period at least one of the key files, a display section displaying upon occurrence of any of a number of preselected events, a key image stored in said memory, superposed on a displayed said television service, said key image upon activation executing said executable data included in the same key file. The system also includes a command section for executing content of the key file of the displayed respective image conditional upon a key command being provided by the input unit. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110055416 | Video/audio network - A packet-based data network including: an audio/video network comprising:
| 03-03-2011 |
| 20100293586 | SYSTEM FOR RETRIEVAL OF EXECUTABLE APPLICATIONS - A system for retrieval of executable applications, comprising: a broadcast television receiver apparatus; and a server; wherein the broadcast television receiver apparatus includes a communication unit having an interface for bidirectional communication with a network and adapted to determine channel information from a currently decoded channel carried in a broadcast television signal, the channel information identifying the currently decoded channel, the communication unit being further adapted to send the channel information to a server over the network, and to receive application information from the server, the application information describing a set of applications which are available for execution, and to receive executable code components for the set of applications corresponding to the application information, and wherein the broadcast television receiver apparatus further includes a data processor adapted to execute the application whilst the channel is decoded; and wherein the server is adapted to receive the channel information over the network, to determine the application information by analyzing the channel information, and to send the application information to the communication unit. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100293577 | METHOD OF CONTENT RETRIEVAL - A method of content retrieval, comprising: providing a set of content items; determining, for each content item in the set, a subset from the set of content items, wherein the subset for a certain content item of the set is determined by comparing only meta data associated with the certain content item with meta data respectively associated with each of all other content items of the set; selecting, by a user of a television apparatus, a content item out of the set of content items as a seed item; executing a recursive or iterative process until one of the content items of the set is determined by the user as a content item for consuming, the process comprising: displaying the respective subset of the seed item at a display in connection with the television apparatus, each of the content items of the respective subset being represented by a respective image; and selecting, by the user, a further content item of the respective subset displayed as the seed item or as a content item for consuming; and displaying, at the display, the content item determined for consuming. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100293576 | METHOD OF RECOMMENDING LOCAL AND REMOTE CONTENT - A method of recommending local and remote content, comprising: receiving, at a television apparatus, a first set of content items and linking information linking each of the content items of the first set to a respective subset of the first set; providing a second set of further content items, the content items of the second set being locally available at the television apparatus; and determining for each content item in a unified set including the first and second sets further linking information linking the content item to a further subset from the unified set; wherein for a certain content item of the first set, the further subset is determined by adding content items of the second set to the respective subset of the certain content item, the content items added being determined by comparing meta data associated with the certain content item with meta data respectively associated with all content items of the second set. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100293572 | METHOD OF PROVIDING TELEVISION PROGRAM INFORMATION - A method for providing television program information, comprising: determining a device profile of an receiver, transmitting the device profile to a server, determining a user profile of a user of the receiver, determining, at the server, the television program information based on the user profile and on the device profile. | 11-18-2010 |