Television – Combined with diverse art device
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-30
2001-01-09
Kostak, Victor R. (Department: 2711)
Television
Combined with diverse art device
C348S559000, C348S143000, C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172712
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of digitization and storage of an analog video signal and, more particularly, to a television equipped with a mass storage device wherein digitized video input may be stored for later viewing.
Typically, video storage systems employ a television in conjunction with a video cassette recorder whereby an analog video signal such as a TV show may be preserved on magnetic tape for later playback.
Several methods have been devised to eliminate the commercials or advertisements from a recorded video broadcast by pausing the recording during commercials and resuming recording when the commercials are over. Such methods rely on changes in the broadcast signal that typically mark the transition from program to commercial, such as a brief blank signal, or changes in the level of the audio signal. However, such systems are prone to cause a loss of some of the desired programming as well as the commercials in that a video tape recorder (VTR) typically will not immediately resume recording as soon as the change in the video signal is detected, or part of the program may incorrectly be perceived as a commercial and cause the VTR to pause during the program.
Another method for avoiding the interruption of commercials is to simply record a show on a video tape recorder and then watch it at a later time and fast forward through the commercials. This increases continuity in the action, decreases the time required to view a program, and allows a viewer to pause the program at any time, and to replay portions of interest or that were missed. However, watching a recorded program precludes the use of the video tape recorder to record another program.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a video storage and playback system which would enable a user to preserve a video signal, e.g., a cabled or broadcast or other video signal, and which is capable providing a user with complete flexibility over the replay of the program, e.g., pausing, eliminating commercials, replaying portions, etc., and which gives a user flexibility in watching televised or other video material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a television with video signal digitizing circuitry for converting an analog video signal to digitized form and a mass storage device such as a hard disk drive for storing the digitized information.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for the storage and playback of a video signal whereby a user can watch TV programming in a period of time that is shorter than the time of the original programming.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for the storage and playback of a video signal whereby commercials can be skipped or otherwise eliminated upon viewing.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for the storage and playback of a video signal whereby the user may pause viewing at any time during viewing and resume viewing at a later time. Preferably, portions of a broadcast may be replayed during the pause. Also, when playback is resumed, it may optionally be replayed at a slightly faster rate in order to reduce viewing time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for digitizing and storing selected portions of a video signal. In this manner, video still images can be stored, or selected frames may be saved for replay and/or storage as a time lapse video.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are provided by the television with hard disk drive according to the present invention which comprises an analog video source which may be digitized and stored on a hard disk drive for later playback wherein the stored video data is capable of being played back at a rate slower, faster, or the same as the original analog video signal.
Because of the relatively large disk space required to store digitized video, the hard disk drive functions primarily as a temporary storage device to be watched and then re-recorded over, however, the functionality of a video tape recorder may also be achieved by the present invention through the use of a plurality of hard drives, removable hard drive media, or sufficiently fast high-capacity removable data storage media.
The apparatus according to the present invention provides an advantage in that it allows a viewer to skip portions of a TV broadcast such as commercials, display something else on the screen during the broadcast, e.g., when commercials are on, pause display of a TV broadcast at any time, replay a portion of a TV broadcast, or allow a viewer to save frames or portions of a TV broadcast. The apparatus according to the present invention also allows a user to replay the stored video at a rate that is either faster or slower than the signal was originally transmitted. Replay rate may be increased either by increasing the frame rate to a slightly higher value, or by frame dropping, i.e., employing the same frame rate as the original signal, but omitting one or more frames during playback, or by a combination of increasing the frame rate and frame dropping. Likewise, the replay rate may be decreased by decreasing the frame rate to a slightly lower value, by frame insertion, i.e., employing the same frame rate as the original signal, but playing one or more frames more than once during playback.
The apparatus according to the present invention wherein the rate of playback is selectable by the user provides many advantages over a conventional television. The present invention preferably has the capability to function in the same manner as a conventional television in non-record mode, i.e., by bypassing the digitizing and storage means and allowing a user to simply watch the original analog signal. In addition, the apparatus according to the present invention, when in record mode, preferably allows a user to watch the original video signal while simultaneously storing the video signal, thus allowing the user to pause watching at any time and then begin watching at a later time from where he or she left off. During the replay, the replay rate may be increased in order to decrease the effect of the pause in viewing on the overall time required to complete the viewing of a desired program. If the initial pause in viewing is sufficiently brief, the stored video replay may be replayed at a faster rate in order to eventually “catch up” to the incoming analog signal at which point the originally broadcast signal may then be watched. In addition to pausing viewing, a user may rewatch a portion of the show and then resume viewing from the stored video.
The apparatus according to the present invention also allows a viewer to view a program in a period of time that is shorter than time to broadcast the original program. For example, the apparatus according to the present invention can begin recording a broadcast and a viewer can begin watching the program replayed from the recorded data sometime during the program, or after the broadcast is completed. The program can be watched at a slightly faster replay rate so as not to be perceptibly different in speed from the original analog signal. The time can be further reduced by skipping the commercials, either by providing a manual fast forward function or using a commercial detection algorithm, for example, one which is capable of recognizing the video pattern typically broadcast just before a commercial is broadcast, one which detects the typical increase in sound level or compression level of the commercials' associated sound signal, or through a digital signal transmitted with the analog composite video signal, and the like. For example, a one hour television program will typically contain 12 minutes of commercials. By recording a program and replaying it at 2 fps faster than the broadcast signal, e.g., at 32 fps for an NTSC signal, and eliminating the commercials, the one-hour program can be watched in under 45 minutes.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld & LLP
Intermec IP Corp.
Kostak Victor R.
LandOfFree
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