Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1994-10-04
2001-02-13
Tran, Thai (Department: 2715)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000, C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188833
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image information processing apparatus and an image information processing system and, more particularly, to conversion of the aspect ratio of an image. In such conversion, during recording, the aspect ratio of image information to be recorded and reproduced is compressed or expanded through optical means and the resultant image having a different aspect ratio is recorded, and during reproduction, the different aspect ratio is converted into the original aspect ratio.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the aspect ratio of an image carried by a television video signal which is transmitted according to a conventional television system (for example, the NTSC system) is 4:3, and this 4:3 aspect ratio is widely adopted in the field of standard television systems.
In recent years, the image quality of a television signal has been further improved and the size of a screen has become larger and larger. However, since the television video signal itself still conforms to such a standard television system, the aspect ratio of an image remains the conventional 4:3.
As is known to those skilled in the art, if an image is to be displayed on a large screen of 100 inches or above, such as the projection screen of a projection display apparatus (hereinafter referred to as the “projector”), it is desirable to adopt a screen wider than a screen having the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio (for example, a screen having an aspect ratio of 16:9) if the visual characteristics of human beings are taken into account.
On the basis of the above-described concept, in the field of high-definition television systems or other similar systems which can handle high-quality images, a system has been proposed which employs an enlarged screen and which enables an image to be photographed and/or displayed at the 16:9 aspect ratio or another aspect ratio which is different from the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio.
However, in such a high-definition television system which greatly differs from the existing standard television system, to attain a wide screen, it is necessary to employ exclusive apparatuses for recording and reproduction, respectively. This arrangement compels users to pay great expenses.
If an image of different aspect ratio is to be recorded and/or reproduced by mean s of an apparatus conforming to the existing standard television system, only a portion of the effective screen of an image sensor or a reproducing apparatus is utilized and the number of effective pixels per image is reduced. This reduction in the number of effective pixels is undesirable in that the degradation of image quality is involved.
To cope with the above problems, an apparatus is proposed which utilizes a linear compression optical system (anamorphic lens) to achieve a wide screen while making the best use of a conventional apparatus without reducing the number of effective pixels. In such an apparatus, during photography, the aspect ratio of an image is optically converted by means of one anamorphic lens and the resultant image having a different aspect ratio is recorded. During reproduction, another anamorphic lens having substantially identical characteristics is employed to convert optically the different aspect ratio into the original aspect ratio, thereby reproducing the original image. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 2-170790 discloses a magnetic image-information recording and reproducing apparatus provided with a plurality of anamorphic lenses and arranged to record an image and a plurality of kinds of detection codes for discrimination between image compression ratios in a control track on a video tape which is a recording medium for recording of the image. During reproduction, an anamorphic lens used for recording is replaced with a different anamorphic lens on the basis of the detection code and the image is reproduced by means of the different anamorphic lens.
However, the ratio at which such an apparatus converts the aspect ratio of an image is fixed.
In other words, in the case of a system which records an image having an aspect ratio of 16:9 and reproduces it as a display image having the 16:9 aspect ratio by means of an apparatus capable of recording and reproducing an image having the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio, if an image having an aspect ratio of 2:1 is to be recorded and reproduced by means of such a system, it is necessary to replace a converting optical system exclusive for recording with that exclusive for reproduction. This replacement is extremely time-consuming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an image information processing apparatus and an image information processing system each of which makes it possible to solve the problems of the aforesaid conventional recording and reproducing apparatus, and which can record an image having an arbitrary aspect ratio as an image of different aspect ratio by means of a recording apparatus conforming to a standard television system and also which can automatically restore the different aspect ratio to an appropriate aspect ratio without an erroneous operation.
To achieve the above object, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image information processing apparatus which comprises converting means for performing compression or expansion on an image having an arbitrary aspect ratio and converting the image into an image having a predetermined aspect ratio, image sensing means for generating an image signal associated with the image outputted from the converting means, identifying means for identifying a ratio of the compression or a ratio of the expansion, discrimination signal generating means for generating a discrimination signal associated with the ratio of the compression or the ratio of the expansion from an output of the identifying means, and recording means for recording the discrimination signal on a recording medium together with the image signal.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image information processing system which comprises a recording apparatus for recording an image having an arbitrary aspect ratio on a recording medium in the form of an image signal, and a reproducing apparatus for reading out the image signal from the recording medium, processing the image signal to form an image having an appropriate aspect ratio, and reproducing the image. The recording apparatus performs compression or expansion on the image having the arbitrary aspect ratio to convert the image into an image having a predetermined aspect ratio, and records the image having the predetermined aspect ratio in the form of the image signal. The recording apparatus also performs recording of compression/expansion information associated with the compression or the expansion. The reproducing apparatus reproduces an image having an aspect ratio equal to the aforesaid arbitrary aspect ratio from the image signal on the basis of the compression/expansion information.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Makino Jun
Takahashi Koji
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Robin Blecker & Daley
Tran Thai
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