Systems and methods for saving and restoring scenes in a multimedia system with minimal configuration are provided. The techniques of the present invention can allow the states of the components in the multimedia system to be captured in a scene. Once the scene has been saved, the scene can be restored at a later time. A remote control system for recommending scenes by comparing states of components in the current scene with states of components in saved scenes is also provided. The remote control system can also recommend scenes based on usage patterns. Moreover, the remote control system can allow users to designate one or more saved scenes as favorite scenes.

Provided is a device including an emission unit configured to generate a timing signal indicating reference timing in an image capturing environment by a monitoring camera that is standalone, an acquisition unit configured to acquire video image data captured by the monitoring camera, and an identification unit configured to identify image data captured at the reference timing in the video image data based on the timing signal included in the video image data.

Information bits may be superimposed onto a transmitted image while reducing or minimizing the effects of the superimposed information bits on the transmitted image signal's frequency spectrum or image quality. A placement of superimposed information bits onto pixels of an image signal to be transmitted may be determined by testing a placement functions to determine whether the spectrum and/or image quality of the image signal with the superimposed information bits placed according to a placement function meets system criteria. Successive placement functions may he tested until an acceptable placement function is found. The information bits may be superimposed onto complete pixels or the information bits may be superimposed onto one or more least significant bits (LSBs) of each of the selected pixels. A transmitter may transmit superimposition information associated with a transmitted image to a receiver. A receiver may use the superimposition information to extract the information bits.

Information bits may be superimposed onto a transmitted image while reducing or minimizing the effects of the superimposed information bits on the transmitted image signal's frequency spectrum or image quality. A placement of superimposed information bits onto pixels of an image signal to be transmitted may be determined by testing a placement functions to determine whether the spectrum and/or image quality of the image signal with the superimposed information bits placed according to a placement function meets system criteria. Successive placement functions may he tested until an acceptable placement function is found. The information bits may be superimposed onto complete pixels or the information bits may be superimposed onto one or more least significant bits (LSBs) of each of the selected pixels. A transmitter may transmit superimposition information associated with a transmitted image to a receiver. A receiver may use the superimposition information to extract the information bits.

This technology is to enable high quality audio reproduction on the reception side without supplying a transmission clock using a clock signal line from the reception side to the transmission side. The transmission apparatus receives encoded data capable of clock recovery from a reception apparatus (external device), generates an audio clock on the basis of a carrier clock recovered from the encoded data, and transmits audio data to the reception apparatus in synchronization with the audio clock. The reception apparatus transmits the encoded data capable of clock recovery to the external device in synchronization with the carrier clock generated on the basis of an self-generating audio clock, receives the audio data from the transmission apparatus (external device), and processes the audio data on the basis of the self-generating audio clock.

Aspects relate to transmission of metadata from a source to a sink device, and optionally through one or more intermediaries. A source device encodes metadata into what would have been a blanking area of a field to be transmitted, according to a current video format. The source device encodes a timing for an active video data signal that is modified from a timing that would be used only for transmission of video data at a current resolution. A separate indicator from the source, or a negotiation between source and sink allows the sink to determine what part of the data indicated as being active video data is metadata, and to use that metadata for controlling aspects of the video display, and to use other parts of the received video data as video data for display. A sink can signal supported capabilities to a source.

Aspects relate to transmission of metadata from a source to a sink device, and optionally through one or more intermediaries. A source device encodes metadata into what would have been a blanking area of a field to be transmitted, according to a current video format. The source device encodes a timing for an active video data signal that is modified from a timing that would be used only for transmission of video data at a current resolution. A separate indicator from the source, or a negotiation between source and sink allows the sink to determine what part of the data indicated as being active video data is metadata, and to use that metadata for controlling aspects of the video display, and to use other parts of the received video data as video data for display. A sink can signal supported capabilities to a source.

Disclosed is a payload mapper including N mapper(s), each of which includes a controller, multiple mapping circuits, an output control circuit, and a storage circuit. The controller includes: a decoding circuit receiving a first-format signal and decoding at least a part of this signal to find out the type of a control signal relating to the first-format signal; and a conversion control circuit generating a selecting signal according to the type of the control signal to choose one of the mapping circuits. The mapping circuits receive the first-format signal and selecting signal, and the selected mapping circuit converts the first-format signal into a second-format signal according to the selecting signal. The output control circuit is coupled to the mapping circuits and outputs at least a part of the second-format signal as an effective output signal. The storage circuit temporarily stores the effective output signal and then outputs it.

Disclosed is a payload mapper including N mapper(s), each of which includes a controller, multiple mapping circuits, an output control circuit, and a storage circuit. The controller includes: a decoding circuit receiving a first-format signal and decoding at least a part of this signal to find out the type of a control signal relating to the first-format signal; and a conversion control circuit generating a selecting signal according to the type of the control signal to choose one of the mapping circuits. The mapping circuits receive the first-format signal and selecting signal, and the selected mapping circuit converts the first-format signal into a second-format signal according to the selecting signal. The output control circuit is coupled to the mapping circuits and outputs at least a part of the second-format signal as an effective output signal. The storage circuit temporarily stores the effective output signal and then outputs it.

A display control apparatus is configured to synchronize a transmission start timing to start a transmission of a video data to a display apparatus with a display operation start timing for the display apparatus to start a display operation in a display.