Network-Extensible Reconfigurable Media Appliance

Abstract

Extensible reconfigurable media appliance for security and entertainment captures images digitally for storage. Digital effects and filters are applied to incoming video stream on-the-fly or to video data stored in memory. Digital effects and filters are dynamically stored, modified, updated or deleted, providing extensible reconfigurable effects studio. Digital media appliance communicates wirelessly with other media appliances, computers, security systems, video storage, email, chat, cellular services or PDAs to provide seamless integration of captured video stream.

We claim: 
     
         1 . Reconfigurable-logic FPGA-based digital media appliance comprising:
 a video sensor integrated circuit for producing video data; and   a controller comprising a reconfigurable logic configured electronically in an FPGA circuit for post-producing the video data, wherein FPGA-based reconfigurable logic electronically configures to synchronize pre-production compositing and post-production rendering seamlessly by an integrated multi-appliance mobile studio.   
     
     
         2 . Network-extensible non-linear digital television programming reconfigurable media appliance comprising:
 storage medium for digitally storing non-linear digital television media program comprising one or more branching points, wherein the media appliance includes a cell processor having first and second cell processing units enabled to process non-linear digital television programming media streams in serial or parallel using synchronized meta data tags to provide extensible reconfigurable effects studio for cellular telephone or digital television application.   
     
     
         3 . Method for distributing cellular telephone and digital television security media comprising steps:
 accessing audio or visual cellular telephone and digital television stream provided according to a non-linear template or script comprising at least one branching point; and   transmitting the cellular telephone and digital television stream according to meta-data or label for accessing such stream, wherein the cellular telephone and digital television stream is provided for security to a distributed group of network-extensible cellular telephone and digital television media appliances.   
     
     
         4 . Method of displaying a cell phone user interface for a mobile effects studio including a distributed mobile group of collaboratively synchronized cellular telephones comprising step:
 synchronizing by a distributed mobile group of cellular telephones in real-time using one or more tag for collaboration or integration, such that the mobile effects studio automatically enables extensible reconfiguration of on-appliance digital effects among cellular telephones belonging to the mobile effects studio.   
     
     
         5 . Location or directional orientation-based electronic method to configure a wireless or mobile cellular or gaming appliance for non-linear media production comprising step:
 determining non-linear reconstruction of a covered event by a controller using micro-GPS transponder-generated real-time location or directional orientation to enable at least one meta-data structure to tag location or directional-based media or gaming content.   
     
     
         6 . Communication method comprising steps:
 generating by a media unit having a sensor a video signal;   rendering by a controller that renders the video signal according to one or more programmable studio effects such as color-space conversion, white-balancing, backlight compensation, gain control, motion detection or tracking, gamma correction, multi-frame noise reduction, depth estimation, 2-D bad pixel correction, video compression or stabilization, or digital pan or tilt; and   transmitting by a communication unit the rendered signal according to a wireless, cellular or network protocol.   
     
     
         7 . Network extensible reconfigurable media appliance comprising:
 a media unit comprising a sensor and a first reconfigurable logic circuit;   a controller comprising microprocessor and a second reconfigurable logic circuit; and   a communication unit comprising a network controller and a third reconfigurable logic circuit, wherein one or more of the reconfigurable logic circuits adaptively guides a media appliance operator in making discretionary emergency decisions to take alternate script pats to alter flow of script, storyboard or digital template.   
     
     
         8 . Digital television processor comprising:
 means for processing a first audio or visual stream; and   means for processing a second audio or visual stream, wherein the first or second stream is processed according to a non-linear template or script comprising at least one branching point, such that the first or second stream is provided to a distributed group of network-extensible media appliances, wherein digital effects processing programmably authenticates digital television streaming by encrypting or decrypting synchronized stream using key data structure fields comprising encryption or decryption keys.   
     
     
         9 . Media processing method comprising steps:
 sensing by a sensor to generate an audio or visual signal; and   processing the signal adaptively according to pre- or post-production guidance, wherein a sensed event is reconstructed collaboratively for media appliances in a distributed group of media appliances in real-time using a biometrically-sensed emotional interest variable.   
     
     
         10 . Cell phone appliance comprising:
 a reconfigurable synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit that processes audio or visual streams; and   means for rendering at least one of the streams using the synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit according to a non-linear template or script comprising at least one branching point, wherein the cell phone appliance automatically configures a distributed group of appliances in a peer-to-peer serial and parallel configuration of network-extensible media appliances extensibly to allow such appliances to join or leave the distributed group dynamically in parallel or serially with other configured appliances.   
     
     
         11 . Media appliance comprising:
 means for sensing that generates an audio or visual signal; and   reconfigurable logic or processor that processes the signal adaptively according to automatic recognition of one or more audio or video feature extracted from the processed signal, wherein the reconfigurable logic or processor processes signals adaptively in real-time according to automatic recognition of one or more such external conditions extracted from the processed signal associated with a larger audience.   
     
     
         12 . Method comprising steps:
 pre-producing of data streams from a plurality of network extensible reconfigurable media appliances according to a plurality of non-linear branching points; and   sensing or producing the pre-produced data streams according to the non-linear branching points, wherein mobile wireless or cellular devices are synchronized as different but related rendering peers, thereby reconstructing a media project extensibly within a mobile extensible reconfigurable effects studio.