Pulse or digital communications – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-30
2002-06-18
Corrielus, Jean (Department: 2631)
Pulse or digital communications
Miscellaneous
C369S060010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408040
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reproducing data from an optical disc and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for compensating audio signals reproduced from the optical disc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A Compact Disc (referred to as “CD” hereinafter) is a conventional recording medium which records data digitally. Because data is recorded digitally, it does not deteriorate when reproduced, even if the CD is used repeatedly. However, the CD, which is presently used throughout audio and computer fields, has limited recording capacity that restricts its use in video. A Digital Versatile Disc (“DVD”) has been recently developed as a new recording medium suitable for the multi-media age in the recording media market. The DVD is able to store moving images as well as numbers, characters, figures and voices. The DVD has all the advantages of the CD, and has a recording capacity of about 5.2 Gbytes per side. Therefore, a complete conventional movie, including moving images, can be sufficiently recorded on one DVD.
Physically, the DVD is as small and durable as a conventional CD.
Furthermore, data stored on the DVD is recorded digitally, rendering it able to be preserved easily. For these reasons, the DVD is an alternative recording medium that has become widely used in the market of recording media including video/audio and computer fields. The wide use of the DVD in image fields has given the DVD a good reputation as an image recording media.
Conventional reproduction apparatuses for reproducing video/audio signals from the DVD, and the operation thereof, are described in detail below with reference to
FIGS. 1
to
4
C of the attached drawings.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram showing a conventional reproduction apparatus for the optical disc. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the conventional reproduction apparatus comprises: an optical disc (i.e. DVD)
1
on which video/audio signal data are recorded; an optical pick-up apparatus
3
for reading the data recorded on the optical disc
1
; and a motor
11
for rotating the optical disc
1
; and a servo-circuit
13
for controlling the motor
11
and the optical pick-up apparatus
3
.
The conventional reproduction apparatus further comprises: a micro-processor
15
for managing the overall control of the reproduction apparatus according to a user's request, and for controlling the servo-circuit
13
; a navigator
17
for receiving commands from the micro-processor
15
, and for executing the commands as to the transmission of data; and a high frequency amplifying circuit
5
for amplifying data read from the optical pick-up apparatus
3
in high frequency bands, and for outputting amplified signals under the control of the navigator
17
.
The conventional reproduction apparatus also comprises: an error correcting circuit (ECC)
7
for correcting errors in bit stream of amplified signals output from the high frequency amplifying circuit
5
and for outputting corrected signals under the control of the navigator
17
; and a Variable Bit Rate buffer (VBR buffer)
9
for temporarily storing signals output from the error correcting circuit
7
under the control of the navigator
17
. The VBR buffer
9
may be a First In First Out (FIFO) buffer.
In addition, the conventional reproduction apparatus comprises a data decoding unit
20
which is composed of a video decoding circuit
21
, a graphics circuit
25
and an audio decoding circuit
27
. When the bit stream output from the VBR buffer
9
is input to the navigator
17
and the data decoding circuit unit
20
, the video decoding circuit
21
extracts only video signal data therefrom and decodes the video signal data based on data dividing control signals of the navigator
17
. Similarly, the graphics circuit
25
extracts and decodes only caption signal data, and the audio decoding circuit
27
extracts and decodes only audio signal data.
The video data decoded by the video decoding circuit
21
and the caption signal data decoded by the graphics circuit
25
are mixed in a mixer (not shown in the attached drawings), and then the mixed data is converted into analog signals by a video digital/analog converter
23
, which is displayed after being adjusted into broadcasting signals in a NTSC/PAL encoder
31
. In the similar manner, the audio data decoded by the audio decoding circuit
27
is converted into analog signals by a audio digital/analog converter
29
, which audio data is then synchronized with the video signals and output.
The operation of the conventional reproduction apparatus of the optical disc will be described in the following.
The video/audio data recorded in the DVD is composed of user data and system data. The user data is composed of video data formatted in VBR format which will be processed in the video decoding circuit
21
, and audio data which will be processed in the audio decoding circuit
27
. The system data is composed of information relating to systematic functions, by which, for example, the video/audio data selected by the user are read from the DVD and transmitted to the audio decoding circuit
27
and video decoding circuit
21
at a suitable rate.
FIG. 2
shows a conventional DVD format. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the user data recorded in the DVD
1
is composed of the video data and the audio data. By comparison, the recording capacities of the video data and the audio data are arranged such that about 9 frames of the video data are recorded for every one frame (1536 bytes) of audio data. The disparity between audio and video data stored on the disc is a consequence of the disproportionate size of audio and video frames. The video data includes, for example, data corresponding to moving images which generally occupies much more space to than the audio data.
When reproduced from the DVD, the video data and the audio data are adequately amplified. The amplified signals being corrected in the error correcting circuit
7
before being temporarily stored in the VBR buffer
9
.
The signals output from the VBR buffer
9
are input into the data decoding unit
20
under the control of the navigator
17
, and the data dividing operation is executed in at least one of the decoding circuits of data decoding unit
20
. Then, the divided signals are decoded, respectively by the following process.
FIG. 3A
is a detailed circuit diagram of the video decoding circuit
21
illustrated in FIG.
1
.
The video decoding circuit
21
comprises a parser
33
, a video decoding unit
35
and a memory
37
. The parser
33
receives the bit stream from the VBR buffer
9
via a first input terminal and the data dividing control signals from the navigator
17
via a second input terminal. The parser
33
extracts only the video data in accordance with the data dividing control signals, and outputs the video data to the video decoding unit
35
. Other video-related signals will be parsed to subsequent stages (such as, the graphics circuit
25
and audio decoding circuit
27
). The video decoding unit
35
generates original signals by decoding the video data extracted in the parser
33
. The video decoding unit
35
may also temporarily store the decoded data of the original signal in the memory
37
, and output the original signals stored in the memory
37
. The video decoding unit comprises a control unit (not shown in the attached drawings) for monitoring the storage volume of the data stored in the memory
37
, and for outputting a data transmitting request signal to the navigator
17
based on the storage volume of the data stored in memory
37
.
In other words, the video decoding circuit
21
decodes the video data input from the parser
33
, temporarily stores the decoded video data in the memory
37
, and outputs signals based on stored data when the data corresponding to a predetermined screen portion are stored. The video decoding circuit
21
also monitors the storage volume of the data stored in the memory
37
, in which the data decoded in the video decoding unit
35
are stored. So long as
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Corrielus Jean
LG Electronics Inc.
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for compensating reproduced audio... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for compensating reproduced audio..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for compensating reproduced audio... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2939324