Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1996-07-10
2002-11-26
Hong, Stephen S. (Department: 2176)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06487564
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multimedia playing apparatus for playing multimedia information items (referred to in the following as multimedia titles), each consisting of a combination of multimedia data objects such as video clips, audio clips, still pictures, text items, etc., with playing conditions (e.g., playing intervals, window size and window position on a display screen, etc) for the various multimedia data objects being specified in a scenario.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When playing a multimedia title, it is necessary that the start and end of playing the various monomedia objects, during the playing progression, be linked to some reference timing axis, in a manner that is specified in the scenario data. With a prior art type of multimedia playing apparatus, a real-time axis is generally used for that purpose. For example, the scenario of a multimedia title might specify that a certain still-picture monomedia object is to start to be displayed at a point which occurs 3 minutes after playing of that multimedia title has started, and is to cease to be displayed at a point which occurs 6 minutes after playing of the multimedia title has started. That is to say, playing times for the various monomedia objects of a multimedia title, specified in the scenario, are linked to points along a real-time axis whose origin is the time point at which playing of the multimedia title begins.
However in practice, such a method presents various basic problems. For example, the multimedia title might include a video object, i.e., a video clip, which is played for a relatively long duration during the playing progression of the multimedia title, and it might be required for a certain still picture to start to be displayed at a certain point (such a point being referred to in the following as a processing time point), within that progression, which is accurately determined in relation to playing the video object. In a practical type of multimedia playing apparatus, in which the data of the video object might be transferred from a data storage device via a network data communication path before being displayed, it cannot be guaranteed that the progression of playing that video object will be accurately in accordance with a predetermined absolute real-time axis. There will be minor variations in timing, which will not affect the playing of the video object as seen by a user, but whereby it cannot be ensured that a certain frame of the video will occur at an accurately predetermined point on the real-time axis, after the start of playing the multimedia title. Moreover, the data of a finite-time object such as a video object are generally stored and transferred encoded in a compressed format such as the MPEG
1
format. When playing of such a video object is started the data are successively decompressed (decoded) by a decoder apparatus, in a manner which is not linked to the progression of the scenario. Thus, only the starting point of playing such a finite-time object is directly linked to the playing progression of the multimedia title as set out in the scenario.
The longer the duration for which such a finite-time object is played, the greater will be the amount of deviation between the actual time of occurrence of a certain part of the object (e.g., playing of a specific frame of a video object) and the processing time point which has been specified for that occurrence in the scenario. As a result, there may be significant errors between the scenario and the multimedia title “story” which is actually presented, e.g., still-picture objects may not presented at the correct times during playing of a video object. Thus the problem arises that the “story” which is actually presented by a multimedia title may vary in accordance with the operating environment, i.e., in accordance with the characteristics of data storage devices, a network through which data are transferred, etc.
It can thus be understood that the above problem results from the fact that management of playing of the multimedia title is based upon use of a real-time axis as a reference axis for the playing progression.
A second problem is as follows. It can be assumed in general that some finite-time object, and in particular a video object, will be being played at any particular point during the progression of a multimedia title. When a monomedia object such as a still picture is to be presented, the data representing that monomedia object are read out from data storage (in general, as a data file), are converted to suitable form for being played, i.e., are formed in accordance with the scenario contents, such that the monomedia object will appear at the specified position, with the specified window size, on the display screen. However in a practical apparatus, such processing, and also the processing whereby the video object data are processed must be performed by the same computer, i.e., the same CPU. Hence, the acquisition of the still-picture object data and the conversion of these data to suitable form for presentation will impose a substantial load on that CPU, i.e., will require a significant amount of processing time. This may obstruct the processing which must be performed, at regular intervals, to acquire and process video data to play successive frames of the video data, and so may result in momentary interruptions of playing a finite-time object such as a video object.
A third problem is as follows. With a prior art type of multimedia playing apparatus, playing of a multimedia title is performed as an automatic sequence, i.e., the multimedia title must be played continuously in accordance with the scenario, from the beginning. It has not been possible to provide a function whereby a user can execute manual control of the playing progression, e.g., whereby the user can move the playing position to an arbitrary point within the playing progression. The reason for this is as follows. With the prior art type of multimedia playing apparatus, processing points (i.e., points at which playing of a monomedia object is to be started or terminated) are defined within the scenario at positions along the playing progression axis of the multimedia title, as respective time points. In order to be able to move the playing position to an arbitrary point along the playing progression, it is necessary first to determine the status of playing at that arbitrary point, and to obtain that information it would be necessary to again begin to read through the scenario, from the start of the scenario, until the specified time point is reached, and then obtain information specifying the monomedia object or monomedia objects to be presented at that time point. However if such processing were to be executed during actual playing of a multimedia title, it would be difficult to achieve a sufficiently rapid and smoooth transition to the new playing position.
A fourth problem is as follows. With a prior art type of multimedia playing apparatus, it has not been possible for a user to execute an operation to alter any of the display attributes of a monomedia object such as displayed (window) position, displayed (window) size, etc., i.e., to execute any operation (referred to in the following as a user-mediated operation) which results in a change in the progression of the multimedia title which is not in accordance with the scenario.
A fifth problem is as follows. With a prior art type of multimedia playing apparatus, it is not possible to execute any processing other than playing of multimedia titles. If it is necessary to execute other types of processing, then it becomes necessary to provide a dedicated apparatus for that purpose. If it were possible for the multimedia playing apparatus to execute external applications (for example, starting at any arbitrary point during playing of a multimedia title, as specified by an input command generated by a user while viewing the multimedia title), then various additional functions could easily be provided by such a multimedia playing apparat
Asai Kayoko
Minemura Atsushi
Oka Toshio
Sato Makoto
Hong Stephen S.
Israel Gopstein Clark & Brody
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