Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-01-09
Chevalier, Robert (Department: 2715)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus providing advanced operating features for audio and/or video programs recorded on disk media, for example recordable digital video disks.
Various devices have been developed to enable consumers to record video and audio programs for later presentation. Such devices include tape recorders, video cassette recorders, recordable compact disks, and most recently, recordable digital video disks (DVD). A DVD that can be recorded on only once, and thereafter is essentially a DVD read only memory, is referred to by the acronym DVD-R. The acronym DVD-R is also used generally to refer to the write-once, or record-once, technology. Several formats are available for DVD's to be recorded on, erased and re-recorded, that is overwritten or rewritten. These are referred to by the acronyms DVD-RAM, DVD−RW and DVD+RW. As of this time no uniform industry standard has been adopted. The acronyms DVD-RAM, DVD−RW and DVD+RW are also used generally to refer to the respective rewritable technology. Reference herein to rewritable DVD technology, devices and methods is generally intended to encompass all of the standards which are now being used, as well as those which may be developed in the future.
In many cases, the program presentations are recorded in the viewer and/or listener's absence, for presentation at a later, more convenient time. This is referred to as time shifting the program. At other times, a program is being viewed and/or listened to without being recorded, and with out any interest in a recording, but the viewer's and/or listener's attention is interrupted, for example by a telephone call or an unexpected visitor. If the viewer and/or listener is watching a television program, for example, and has a cassette tape in a VCR, or can retrieve and load such a cassette tape quickly, the program can be recorded. However, the viewer and/or listener cannot view and/or listen to the program in its entirety, and in a proper time sequence, until after the recording has been completed. The time to completion of the recording can be short or long, depending on the length of the program.
A desirable feature in a DVD device would enable a viewer and/or listener to initiate resumption of the program presentation as soon as the interruption or pause has ended, without sacrificing the program content during the interruption or pause.
Although rewritable DVD technology is generally available, operation is limited to such basic functions as play, record, fast forward reverse and stop. Pause is available, but only as a counterpart to pause operation in a VCR, for example interrupting the play back of a prerecorded program or interrupting the recording of a viewed program to eliminate commercials from the recording. Unlike computer hard drives, recordable DVD devices have a very significant additional function, which is playing back prerecorded DVD's. Thus, there is an economic incentive to develop rewritable DVD technology, including methods and devices, that can be used instead of a computer hard drive. It is a challenge to provide such devices with improved, advantageous features without compromising the goal of decreasing costs and increasing sales. Such novel DVD features should include the ability to simultaneously view and record on a disk medium in a seamless fashion, without the high operating speed of a computer hard drive. A recordable DVD device with a single head for reading and writing cannot read and write simultaneously. Accordingly, the terms seamless and simultaneous are used herein to denote that recording and playing back program material in accordance with the inventive arrangements has the appearance of being simultaneous to the viewer and/or listener, even though the functionality is actually alternating or multiplexed.
Repeated recording in the same section of the disk can exhaust the lifetime of the disk prematurely. It is desirable when implementing novel features, particularly features that can require large amounts of overwriting, to prevent repeated recording in the same sections of a rewritable DVD to prevent premature exhaustion.
A basic rewritable DVD device, having for example a 1× (one times) read and a 1× (one times) write capability, typically has maximum data rates for recording or playing back of only approximately 11 megabits/second. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide novel features that can be implemented within the constraints of the maximum available data rates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method in accordance with the inventive arrangements for recording a program during pausing and playing back the program, utilizing a disk medium, comprises the steps of: (a) upon receiving a command to initiate a pause, recording the program onto a track on the disk medium as a first pattern of recorded segments alternating with a second pattern of unrecorded segments; (b) jumping back to the first recorded segment of the first pattern upon receiving a command to terminate the pause; and, (c) alternately playing back the recorded segments of the first pattern and recording the program onto the unrecorded segments of the second pattern.
An apparatus in accordance with other the inventive arrangements, for recording a program during pausing and playing back the program utilizing a disk medium, can comprise: a first signal processing path for receiving the program; a pickup assembly for writing data onto the disk medium and reading data from the disk medium; a servo system for the pickup assembly; a second signal processing path for playing back the program; means for receiving control commands; a controller having a first mode of operation for recording the program initiated responsive to a command to initiate a pause, a second mode of operation initiated responsive to a command to terminate the pause and a third mode of operation for playing back and recording the program; in the first mode of operation, the pickup assembly being positioned to record the program onto a track on the disk medium as a first pattern of recorded segments alternating with a second pattern of unrecorded segments; in the second mode of operation, the pickup assembly being jumped back to the first recorded segment of the first pattern; and, in the third mode of operation, the pickup assembly being positioned for alternately playing back the recorded segments of the first pattern and recording the program onto the unrecorded segments of the second pattern.
In accordance with the inventive arrangements, a record during pause and playback feature is provided for a device for rewriting on a disk medium, as is a method for recording during a pause while operating a device for rewriting on a disk medium. The presently preferred disk medium is a rewritable DVD and the presently preferred device is a rewritable DVD device. A viewer or listener can pause or interrupt presentation of a program, and advantageously initiate resumption of the program presentation as soon as the interruption or pause has ended, without sacrificing the program content during the interruption or pause. Moreover, the viewer or listener does not have to wait for the remainder of the program to be recorded before viewing the program.
In accordance with further aspects of the inventive arrangements, the apparently simultaneous recording and playing back is advantageously transparent, or at least substantially transparent, to the viewer or listener. The rewritable DVD device and corresponding method enable the program presentation to be played back to the viewer or listener from the moment the pause began. The rewritable DVD device will simultaneously record for a period of time corresponding to the length of the pause, unless of course the program ends first.
Finally, in accordance with the inventive arrangements, the techniques that enable apparently simultaneous recording and viewing (playing back) in a pause mode advantageously promote a maximum useful re-recording lifetime for a rewritable D
Chevalier Robert
Fried Harvey D.
Laks Joseph J.
Thomson Licensing S.A.
Tripoli Joseph S.
LandOfFree
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