Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-27
2001-02-13
Garber, Wendy (Department: 2712)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000, C386S349000, C360S072100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a data storing apparatus, such as a conference minutes recording system or a news gathering recording system, for storing data such as conversation audio from minutes and news gathering, and the images of conference and news gathering scenes and conference memos and news gathering memos related to these.
2. Description of Related Art
An apparatus is known for recording and playing back the record of conferences, lectures, news gathering, interviews, and conversations using telephones or television telephones, television videos, surveillance camera videos and the like using digital disks, digital still cameras, video tape and semiconductor memory and the like. If data is stored using these apparatuses, it is possible to record the data without losing any of the sound and images that comprise the input data.
Apparatuses of this kind include apparatuses that record digital signals transmitted via a computer network onto storage media, apparatuses that record without change analog input signals from video cameras or microphones onto storage media, and apparatuses that encode the input and convert it into a digital signal for recording.
However, a problem arises in that it is impossible to instantaneously search for the desired portion of the recorded sounds and images. Concerning this problem, tape recorders and VCRs have been proposed which make it easy for a person doing the recording to search for the important portions by attaching check marks to the important portions in the input audio signal and video signal by pressing a designated button with an arbitrary timing.
However, the check marks in this case simply designate the location of the important portions, and the problem then arises that the contents must be verified by playing back all of the checked partial audio signal and partial video signal because it is impossible to indicate to what interval portion of the audio signal or video signal these check marks correspond. Furthermore, it is necessary to perform the unnatural task of pressing buttons while listening to speech, creating the problem that it is impossible to concentrate on the speech.
Consequently, apparatuses have been proposed for storing, recording and playing back data by successively correlating input audio signals or video signals and user input data that is input at an arbitrary timing using a pen or keyboard. Using this kind of apparatus, the person doing the recording performs input using a pen or keyboard just like taking a memo and the audio signal or video signal is recorded. Afterwards, it is possible to play back the data easily by selecting the location of the desired audio signal or video signal with reference to the input memos.
For example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications 7-182365, 6-176171 and 6-343146 and ACM CHI '94 Proceedings, pg. 58-pg. 64 (“Marquee: A Tool For Real-Time Video Logging”), descriptions are given of apparatuses such that the recorded audio signal or video signal and the user input data are correlated on the basis of a time stamp. During playback, one of the user input data items displayed on a screen is designated and the audio signal or video signal recorded at the time the designated user input data was recorded is played back.
Furthermore, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 6-276478, an apparatus is described which accomplishes playback by correlating the successively input audio signals or video signals and stationary video designated by the operator on the basis of a time imprint.
In addition, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 6-205151, an apparatus is described wherein an index is appended to the input audio signal or input video signal which detects that the user input has been interrupted for a set time. During playback, one of the specific user-input data items displayed on the screen is designated and the audio signal or video signal starting from the index portion corresponding to the designated user-input data is played back.
However, the data storage apparatuses described above have a construction that records all of the input audio signal or video signal without compression and consequently, it is difficult to record a lengthy input audio signal or input video signal with a limited recording capacity. In general, when recording time-series data, such as successively input audio signals or video signals over a long period of time, the required storage capacity becomes enormous.
A method has been proposed wherein the audio signal or video signal is always stored on the storage medium while being compressed. In general, all of the input audio signals or video signals are stored using the same compression ratio. With this method, it is impossible to conserve storage capacity by recording only the important portions with high audio quality and high image quality. Thus, even the data having a small likelihood of being referenced later is recorded in a large volume. It is therefore, impossible to record audio and video signals taking into account the amount of available storage capacity and the importance of the data being recorded.
For example, assume that when recording the scenery of an interview over a lengthy time using Video for Windows (“Microsoft Video for Windows 1.0 User's Guide, pp. 57-59, pp. 102-108), the thinning compression ratio is set so that only one frame for every five seconds of the video signal is stored with the aim of conserving storage capacity. Here, the problem is created that even if the person doing the recording wants to play back portions that were felt to be important during recording, it is only possible to play back the video signal at one frame every five seconds. It is thus, impossible to reproduce the actions (gestures and the like), the manner of speech and the subtle nuances of the person speaking in the stored video. Conversely, when all of the input video signal are recorded at 30 frames per second, the storage capacity needed to store a lengthy interview becomes enormous.
Hence, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications 2-305053 and 7-15519, an audio data storage apparatus is discussed which, when it is confirmed that the empty capacity of the storage medium is less than a certain amount, secures the empty areas of the storage medium by recompressing the audio data that has already been stored.
However, the apparatuses described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2-305053 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 7-15519 are apparatuses for recompressing the audio signal stored using the same compression ratio for the entire signal. This creates the problem of not being able to record the important areas with a lower compression ratio and higher audio quality.
In addition, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications 5-64144 and 5-134907, data storage apparatuses are discussed which, when the usage volume (data storage volume) of the image storage medium exceeds a predetermined amount, conserve the storage capacity by successively compressing the image data already stored starting with the old frames and by thinning out frames. These comprise apparatuses that conserve storage capacity by overwriting previously stored data with newly input data and by increasing the compression ratio of data that was stored first.
In addition, in data storage apparatuses for storing conferences, lectures, news gathering and interviews, when the apparatus is structured so as to simply retain the new recording as important data and erase the old recording as unnecessary data, such as is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications 5-64144 or 5-134907, the problem arises that recordings of important conferences or important news gathering or the like are overwritten by newly input data simply because those recordings were made first. In general, it is not possible to determine the level of importance of conference contents or news gathering contents merely on the basis of the date and time that the conference or news gathering was conducted.
In addition, the motion ima
Fuji 'Xerox Co., Ltd.
Garber Wendy
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Onuaku Christopher
LandOfFree
Data storage/playback device and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Data storage/playback device and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Data storage/playback device and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2600093