Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2004-05-11
Chevalier, Robert (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000, C386S349000, C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06735374
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a picture processing apparatus and method and, more particularly, to a picture processing apparatus and method which receive picture data and change information as information for indicating a temporal change in the picture data, thereby to generate picture data for display.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The technology of digitizing a picture to obtain digital picture data is an important technology for display or transmission of picture data in broadcasting, picturephones, videoconferences, computer network systems and the like. As for storage of the digital picture data, mass storage media such as DVDs are becoming widespread and coded moving picture data compressed according to MPEG1, MPEG2 or the like is usually stored in these media.
The data stored in such a medium is reproduced by a reproduction apparatus including a DVD player when the medium is a DVD. In the case of reproduction using data transmitted in a network system or the like, the normal reproduction of displaying pictures similar to original moving pictures is exclusively performed. On the other hand, in the case of the reproduction by the above reproduction apparatus, various trick reproduction functions are mostly provided for users' convenience. As examples of the trick reproduction functions, there are reverse reproduction of reproducing a picture in the direction opposite in the time series to that of an original moving picture, high-speed reproduction of reproducing a picture so as to have a higher-speed motion than that of an original moving picture, and high-speed reverse reproduction of reproducing a picture at higher speeds and in the opposite direction.
For example, in a case where compressively coded data stored in the DVD is reproduced by the reproduction apparatus including the DVD player, when the normal reproduction is performed, the apparatus expansively decodes the compressively coded data successively and outputs (displays or the like) the data. On the other hand, when the high-speed reproduction is performed, the apparatus usually outputs (displays or the like) only part of data, thereby to realize a high-speed display. The compressively coded moving picture data is generally processed with one screen, i.e. one frame, as a unit. Therefore, while respective frames are successively processed to display pictures in the normal reproduction, a frame-drop processing of thinning out part of frames is performed in the high-speed reproduction. For example, when picture data consists of 25 frames per second, and only one frame among the 25 frames is processed and output, 25-time speed reproduction is performed.
FIG. 15
is a diagram for explaining the normal reproduction and the high-speed reproduction for moving picture data taking a frame as a unit. Each of F
1
to F
13
shown in the figure illustrates a picture of each frame included in output pictures of the normal reproduction. These pictures are to be reproduced in this order according to the time series. When the reproduction apparatus normally reproduces this data, data of F
1
to F
13
is successively output in a cycle according to the television signal standards such as NTSC or PAL.
The arrows in the figure indicate the order of outputting frames in the high-speed reproduction of quadruple-speed. In this case, after an F
1
frame is output, an F
5
frame is output and then F
9
and F
13
frames are successively output. Therefore, only one frame is output every four frames, whereby the high-speed reproduction of quadruple-speed is realized.
In the case of reverse reproduction, frames are successively reproduced from F
13
to F
1
in the reverse order to the time series. In the case of high-speed reverse reproduction, also one frame is output every four frames, i.e. F
13
, F
9
, F
5
, and F
1
are output in the reverse order to the time series, whereby the high-speed reverse reproduction of quadruple-speed is realized.
As described above, these trick reproduction functions are popular in the reproduction apparatus. However, also in the case of transmission of picture data, when the transmission at a low bit rate is required, frames are thinned out in a similar way to the high-speed reproduction, thereby transmitting output data.
As described above, prior art picture processing apparatuses thin out frames to output (display or transmit) pictures, thereby realizing the high-speed reproduction. However, since frames which are targets to be thinned out are not output at all in this processing, information about motions of moving pictures, which is included in the frames to be thinned out is completely lost.
Assume that an object has a motion from the right to the left in the frames F
2
to F
7
of the picture data shown in FIG.
15
. When the high-speed reproduction of quadruple-speed is performed for this picture data, the motion of the object from the right to the left is not transmitted at all by information transmitted with only the frame F
5
. Therefore, users who utilize a displayed result of the high-speed reproduction cannot obtain information as to how the object moves or whether the object is not moving but stops.
In addition, when the prior art picture processing apparatus performs the high-speed reproduction by thinning out frames, output frames are discontinuous. Therefore, only displays which make the users feel disorder are obtained.
Further, when the prior art picture processing apparatus performs the high-speed reproduction by thinning out the frames, the users cannot easily obtain information as to whether the normal reproduction or high-speed reproduction is performed, from only the displayed result. That is, not only when the degree of thinning is low (relatively low speed) but also the degree of thinning is high (relatively high speed), although the display makes the users feel disorder as describe above, the users cannot easily know whether the high-speed reproduction is performed or moving pictures for producing special effects are normally reproduced.
Also when the data is transmitted by thinning out frames as described above in the transmission at a low bit rate, the same phenomenon occurs when the data is displayed and utilized at a transmission destination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a picture processing apparatus and method which can transmit information about motions included in original pictures also in the case of the high-speed reproduction.
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a picture processing apparatus and method which can realize good displays having less disorder due to discontinuous displays also in the case of the high-speed reproduction.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a picture processing apparatus and method which allow the users to easily know whether the high-speed reproduction is performed or not, from a display screen or the like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a picture processing apparatus and method which transmit information of motions, produce no disorder, and allow the user to easily know reproduction states, also when it transmits data by thinning out frames in a similar way to the high-speed reproduction.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description and specific embodiments described are provided only for illustration since various additions and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the detailed description.
According to a 1st aspect of the present invention, a picture processing apparatus which receives picture data and change information as information for indicating a temporal change in the picture data and generates displayed picture data, comprises a motion generation unit for performing weighted addition for pixels constituting the picture data on the basis of the change information, and generating the displayed picture data. Accordingly, the displayed picture data includes the m
Chevalier Robert
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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