Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-26
2001-08-21
Garber, Wendy R. (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C360S060000, C380S203000, C705S054000, C705S057000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278836
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to information reproducing apparatus and information recording media. More particularly, the invention relates to information reproducing apparatus for reproducing video signals and program information which are compressively encoded and recorded in information recording media such as optical disks. The invention also relates to information recording media such as optical disks for recording compressively encoded video signals and program information.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, with a development in digital storage media, methods of compressing and recording long-time moving pictures in these recording media have been examined. In International Organization for Standarization (ISO), a working group of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), “MPEG (Moving Picture Image Coding Experts Group)” has been active for standarization of moving picture coding methods. For example, there is “ISO/IEC 13818-2 (MPEG2)” as an international standard of moving picture coding method. Employing such a moving picture coding method, a long-time moving picture, such as a movie, can be recorded in a single recording medium, such as an optical disk, while maintaining high picture quality.
By the way, the time for releasing a movie or the like in theaters differs from country to country or from area to area, and a sale of a software, i.e., information for seeing the movie by reproduction, in the form of information recording media such as optical disks and VTR tapes (hereafter referred to simply as media) is generally started when a prescribed period of time has passed after the release time of the movie so that the box-office profits of the movie are not adversely affected by the software.
Meanwhile, when a program software for a game or computer is sold in the form of optical disks such as CD-ROMs, the sales time is shifted for each area. The reason is as follows. The time required for adjusting the program software to be sold to languages or logical structures of computers on the market differs between areas or between types of computers employed.
In recent years, however, as the machinery of distribution of goods has been reorganized, even though the sales time of media is shifted from area to area, media being on sale in an area where the sale of the media has started already are available in an area where the sale of the media has not started yet. Under such circumstances, even though the media provide the same software, reproduction control to inhibit or restrict the use of the software, i.e., viewing of a movie or reproduction of a computer program, in each area has been increasingly demanded by software markers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information reproducing apparatus that can perform, for each area, reproduction restriction of information that is recorded on media such as optical disks and available by reproduction, thereby enabling a use of a software, such as a movie or a computer program, from a given time or within a given period of time corresponding to each area.
Another object of the present invention is to provide information recording media, such as optical disks, that can perform, for each area, reproduction restriction of information available by reproduction, thereby enabling a use of a software, such as a movie of a computer program, from a given time or within a given period of time corresponding to each area.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description that follows. The detailed description and specific embodiments described are provided only for illustration since various additions and modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the detailed description.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information reproducing apparatus for reading out main information to be a target of reproduction and auxiliary information to control reproduction of the main information from an information recording medium containing the main information and the auxiliary information, and reproducing the main information according to the auxiliary information, and the apparatus comprises reproduction restricting information extracting means for extracting reproduction restricting information used for reproduction restriction of a part or the whole of the read-out main information, from the read-out auxiliary information; reproduction restriction decision means for deciding one of various modes of reproduction restriction including a mode in which reproduction restriction is not performed; and reproduction restricting means for performing reproduction restriction of a part or the whole of the read-out main information in the mode of reproduction restriction decided by the reproduction restriction decision means. Therefore, reproduction of information, which is recorded on an information recording medium such as an optical disk and available by reproduction, can be restricted in a desired mode, whereby the use of a software, such as a movie or a computer program, can be restricted.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned apparatus, the reproduction restricting information includes a plural pieces of local reproduction restricting information which correspond to plural areas defined in advance and are used for reproduction restriction in prescribed modes corresponding to the respective areas; and the reproduction restricting information extracting means is select means for selecting the local reproduction restricting means corresponding to a specified area from the plural pieces of local reproduction restricting information constituting the reproduction restricting information. Therefore, reproduction of information, which is recorded on an information recording medium such as an optical disk and available by reproduction, can be restricted for each area, whereby the use of a software, such as a movie or a computer program, can be restricted.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned apparatus, the reproduction restricting information includes time information set in advance, and the mode of reproduction restriction is decided with year/month shown by the time information as a reference; and the reproduction restriction decision means comprises clock means in which a reference time is set, and outputting time information on the basis of the reference time as the present year/month; and comparison and decision means for comparing year/month shown by the reproduction restricting information extracted by the reproduction restricting information extracting means with the present year/month output from the clock means to decide the before/after relationship between them. Therefore, the use of a software, such as a movie or a computer program, can be restricted with reference to the sales time of the software or the release time of its title.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned apparatus, each of the plural pieces of local reproduction restricting information provides a time in which reproduction of the main information is permitted in the corresponding area. Therefore, the available time of a software, i.e., time for starting the use of the software, can be set for each area.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned apparatus, the reproduction restricting information includes sales time information showing a sales time of information recording media in which the main information is recorded, in addition to the plural pieces of local reproduction restricting information; the local reproduction restricting information is inhibit period information providing, for the corresponding area, the length of a reproduction inhibit period during which reproduction of the main information is inhibited; and the reproduction restriction decision means includes adding means for calculating a time i
Kawara Toshiyuki
Shinbo Masatoshi
Taniguchi Hiroshi
Boccio Vincent F.
Garber Wendy R.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P.
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