Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2003-09-02
Chevalier, Robert (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06614985
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of processing information, an information processing system, a terminal for and a method of receiving data, and a data broadcasting system for sending and receiving data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have heretofore been proposed systems for loading software contents in a hardware terminal and using the loaded software.
Such proposed systems include reproducing devices for playing back compact disks (CDs), analog records, mini disks (MDs), digital audio tapes (DATs), cassette tapes, and video tapes, and reproducing systems such as TV game machines and portable game machines for loading package mediums as contents in terminals and playing back those package mediums to play games.
There have also been proposed recording/reproducing systems as a combination of a reproducing system and a recording function. Such recording/reproducing systems include recording/reproducing devices for MDs and DATs, hardware terminals with an added recording function for loading package mediums in a terminal unit and recording information in and reproducing information from those package mediums, such as cassette decks, video decks, radio and cassette deck combinations, mini component stereo sets, TV sets with built-in video decks, and video decks with built-in CS decoders, and recording/reproducing systems as a combination of a hardware terminal with a recording function and a function to receive contents distributed via radio and cable links.
TV systems, radio systems (FM and AM), CATV systems, CS systems, BS systems, pager systems, portable telephone systems, and PHSs (personal handyphone systems) distribute contents via radio and cable links. Terminals of these systems have reception systems for allowing users to view distributed contents substantially at the same time the contents are distributed.
There has been known a pager system for transmitting data with identification (ID) information simultaneously to a plurality of pager terminals via radio links. The pager terminals are also known as pagers or beepers.
In recent years, a broadcasting system which employ an existing pager system has been proposed.
FIG. 17
of the accompanying drawings shows a pager system. As shown in
FIG. 17
, the pager system comprises a plurality of telephone sets
111
1
through
111
m
, a central station
120
connected to the telephone sets
111
1
through
111
m
through a communication link
112
, a plurality of base stations
130
1
through
130
n
for processing data transmitted from the central station
120
into broadcast data, and a plurality of pager terminals
141
1
through
141
n
for receiving broadcast data from the base stations
130
1
through
130
n
.
The central station
120
comprises an ID converter
122
for converting a call signal into the ID address of a pager terminal to be called, an encoder
123
for encoding converted ID address data, and a modem
124
for sending data to and receiving data from the base stations
130
1
through
130
n
. The base stations
130
1
through
130
n
comprise respective modems
131
1
through
131
n
for sending data to and receiving data from the central station
120
, respective phase compensators
132
1
through
132
n
for phase-compensating data supplied thereto, and respective transmitters
133
1
through
133
n
for processing phase-compensated data into modulated data to be transmitted via respective antennas
134
1
through
134
n
to the pager terminals
141
1
through
141
n
.
In the pager system
100
, each of the telephone sets
111
1
through
111
m
calls a desired pager terminal according to the following process:
When the sender dials a number to call the pager terminal from either one of the telephone sets
111
1
through
111
m
as push-button telephone sets, the number signal is sent to the central station
120
.
In the central station
120
, the ID converter
122
converts the number signal into the ID address of one of the pager terminals
141
1
through
141
n
which corresponds to the dialed number. The encoder
123
encodes the converted ID address data. The modem
124
then sends the encoded data to the base stations
130
1
through
130
n
.
In the base stations
130
1
through
130
n
, the modems
131
1
through
131
n
receive the data sent from the central station
120
, and the phase compensators
132
1
through
132
n
phase-compensate the received data. The transmitters
133
1
through
133
n
process the phase-compensated data into modulated signals to be transmitted via the respective antennas
134
1
through
134
n
to the pager terminals
141
1
through
141
n
.
The pager terminals
141
1
through
141
n
have respective ID addresses of their own. The pager terminals
141
1
through
141
n
receive the ID address from the base stations
130
1
through
130
n
. If one of the pager terminals
141
1
through
141
n
determines that the received ID address and its own ID address agree with each other, then that pager terminal carries out a calling process, e.g., emits a beep signal.
The above process is a series of successive steps for calling a pager terminal in the pager system
100
.
The systems for loading package mediums as contents in terminals to use the package mediums are capable of handling a large amount of data including image and sound data. However, the data thus handled by these systems lacks real-time information. Stated otherwise, the package mediums do not contain real-time information, and users need to go to stores to purchase package mediums as contents.
The systems in which contents are distributed via radio and cable links and received by the reception systems of the terminals to allow users to view distributed contents substantially at the same time the contents are distributed, are capable of handling real-time information. However, the amount of information that is sent and received is relatively small, and the distributed information is used at site only. The distribution of information requires a permanent facility, and the users are generally charged with a fixed subscription fee.
The hardware terminals with an added recording function for loading package mediums in a terminal unit and recording information in and reproducing information from those package mediums, and the recording/reproducing systems as a combination of a hardware terminal with a recording function and a function to receive contents distributed via radio and cable links, have an increased time shifting capability because they can record received contents distributed via radio and cable links. In these terminals and systems, however, received contents are basically used as new package mediums. The amount of information distributed via radio and cable links remains the same, and the real-timeness of the information is lost the instant it is distributed. The above terminals and systems also suffer the problems that the distribution of information requires a permanent facility, and the users are generally charged with a fixed subscription fee.
Sending data with the system shown in
FIG. 17
is advantageous in that it uses an existing infrastructure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and a method of processing information, an information processing system, a terminal for and a method of receiving data, and a data broadcasting system for sending and receiving data, in order to be able to send and receive a large amount of data while maintaining real-timeness of the data.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4879611 (1989-11-01), Fukui et al.
patent: 5526127 (1996-06-01), Yonetani et al.
patent: 5675524 (1997-10-01), Bernard
patent: WO 95 12168 (1995-03-01), None
“Sony to
Kawai Eiji
Tokunaka Teruhisa
Chevalier Robert
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Mahr Hans R.
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
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