Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-25
2002-04-09
Boccio, Vincent F. (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000, C380S203000, C380S201000, C360S060000, C369S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06370320
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and device to limit or prohibit duplication of information such that, for example, an information signal recorded on a recording medium is reproduced and transmitted in the analog signal state with an information for preventing duplication, and the transmitted information signal is received and recorded on another recording medium; and an information output device to be used for the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video Tape Recorders (VTRs) have been widespread, and there have been provided great many software applications that VTRs can reproduce. In recent years, reproduction devices such as the digital VTR and DVD (digital video disk) have come into reality. Thereby, people are able to easily reproduce good pictures and sounds to watch and listen.
However, there has been a risk that software applications thus abundantly provided are to be duplicated unlimitedly, and various measures for preventing duplication have been adopted so far.
For example, there is a method for substantially preventing duplication by exploiting the difference in the AGC (auto gain control) system between a VTR as a recording device and a monitor receiver to provide pictures, or the difference in the APC (auto phase control) characteristic.
That is, the VTR applies, for example, an AGC system that employs a pseudo synchronizing signal interpolated into the video signal, and the monitor receiver applies another AGC system that does not employ the pseudo synchronizing signal. The duplication prevention method that utilizes the difference in the AGC system interpolates an extremely high level of a pseudo synchronizing signal as a synchronizing signal for the AGC when recording analog video signals on an original recording medium, and interpolates the extremely high level of a pseudo synchronizing signal into the video signals supplied to a recording VTR from a reproducing VTR as a synchronizing signal for the AGC.
And, the VTR applies an APC system that employs the phase of the color burst signal itself of the video signal, and the monitor receiver applies another APC system. The duplication prevention method that utilizes the difference in the APC characteristic partially inverts the phase of the color burst signal of the video signal, and outputs the video signal partially inverted in the phase of the color burst signal as the video signal supplied to the recording VTR from the reproducing VTR, when recording analog video signals on an original recording medium.
With the system thus arranged, the monitor receiver that receives analog video signals from the reproducing VTR is able to reproduce a normal picture without being affected by the pseudo synchronizing signal or the partial phase inversion of the color burst signal used for the APC.
However, when the VTR receives analog video signals having the pseudo synchronizing signal interpolated or the analog signals having the phase of the color burst signal partially inverted from the reproducing VTR as in the foregoing, and records the analog video signals on a recording medium, the VTR cannot properly perform the gain control, or the phase control in accordance with the input signal; thus the VTR is not able to normally record the video signals. Accordingly, the VTR cannot present a normal picture good for watching and listening when reproducing the recorded video signal.
Such a manner to process analog video signals is not to prohibit duplication, but to lead a normal reproduced picture good for watching and listening not to be obtained, which is in a sense a passive control of preventing duplication.
On the other hand, in processing digitized data, for example, digitized video signals, a direct control of preventing duplication is adopted such that a duplication control signal made of a duplication prevention code, a generation limitation code of duplication, or the like is added on the video signal as a digital data and recorded on a recording medium to thereby prohibit duplication.
FIG. 1
is a basic block diagram of a reproducing and recording system to process the digitized data. A digital information signal reproduced by a digital reproducing device is transmitted to a digital recording device
120
through a digital transmission line
101
. The recording device performs duplication in case the digital information signal permits of duplication, and prohibits duplication in case the digital information signal does not permit of duplication.
On a recording medium
111
mounted on the digital reproducing device
110
, a duplication control information as an added information is recorded in addition to a main digital information. The duplication control information indicates the contents of control such as duplication prohibition, duplication permission, generation limit of duplication. A digital reproducing unit
112
reads out an information signal from the recording medium
111
, and acquires the duplication control information as well as the main digital information, which are transmitted to the digital recording device
120
through the digital transmission line
101
.
A duplication control signal detection unit
122
of the digital recording device
120
detects a duplication control signal from an information signal received through the digital transmission line
101
, and discriminates the contents of control. And, the detection unit
122
transmits the discrimination result to a digital recording unit
121
.
When the discrimination result of the duplication control signal from the duplication control signal detection unit
122
indicates permission to record the digital information inputted through the digital transmission line
101
, the digital recording unit
121
converts the foregoing inputted digital signal into a digital information suitable for recording, and writes it on a recording medium
123
. On the other hand, when the discrimination result of the duplication control signal from the duplication control signal detection unit
122
indicates prohibition to duplicate, the digital recording unit
121
is designed not to record the foregoing inputted digital information.
Further, when the discrimination result of the duplication control signal from the duplication control signal detection unit
122
indicates permission to duplicate only for the first generation, the digital recording unit
121
converts the foregoing inputted digital signal into a digital information suitable for recording, and writes it on the recording medium
123
, and at the same time, changes the duplication control signal as an added information into a signal to indicate duplication prohibition (duplication prohibition for the next generation), and records the signal on the recording medium
123
. Accordingly, it becomes impossible to duplicate video signals using the duplicated recording medium
123
.
Thus, in case of the so-called digital connection such that the main information signal and the duplication control signal as an added information are supplied to the recording device as a digital signal, using the duplication control signal can secure the duplication control such as duplication prohibition in the recording device.
Incidentally, if the digital reproducing device in
FIG. 1
is a digital VTR, for example, in order to monitor reproduced video signals and audio signals, only the video signals and audio signals being main information signals are converted into analog signals through a D/A converter
113
, which are usually supplied to a monitor receiver through an analog output terminal
114
.
In this manner, although the reproducing device is for digital information, the analog signal supplied from the analog output terminal
114
does not contain the duplication control signal. Accordingly, if an analog VTR is connected to the analog output terminal
114
, duplication of information signals becomes possible.
Accordingly, it is suggested to superimpose the duplication control signal on the D/A converted video signals and audio signals. Howe
Ogino Akira
Sugita Takehiro
Usui Takashi
Boccio Vincent F.
Maioli Jay H.
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