Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-12
2003-10-21
Chevalier, Robert (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636688
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to video recording devices, such as VCRs (video cassette recorders) and video disk players, for receiving a television broadcast signal and recording the signal on a recording medium, and more particularly to video recording devices which are adapted to record on a recording medium a television broadcast signal having viewing prohibition information or title information superposed thereon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to meet differences in program broadcasting hours in Europe, it is conventional practice to control unattended recording of a preselected television program by superposing a control signal termed a VPS (video programming system) signal on the television signal.
It is also practice in North America to control recording of a preselected television program by super-posing a control signal conforming to the XDS (Extended Data Service) standard on the 21st horizontal section of vertical blanking period in the second field of the television broadcast signal.
In either of these methods, a special control signal for controlling the video recording operation needs to be transmitted as superposed on the television broadcast signal.
In North America, regulations called V-chip are to be formulated into a law to prevent children from viewing TV (television) programs for adults which contain presentations involving violence or sexual expression. According to the V-chip regulations, the television broadcast signal for each program must have superposed thereon viewing prohibition information termed “RATING” and relating to the age limit for viewing, wording, etc. Further it is recommended that title information representing the titles of the programs be superposed on the television broadcast signal along with the RATING information. The RATING information, as well as the title information, is therefore transmitted as superposed on the television broadcast signal as part of the XDS signal (see “EIA STANDARD” EIA-608-1994 ELECTRONIC INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION).
VCRs are already known which have the function of displaying as a recording list recording information as to all the programs recorded on a magnetic tape as shown in FIG.
14
.
For use with the VCR of this type, the magnetic tape is provided thereon with a recording region for the television broadcast signal and an auxiliary data recording region narrower than the region as shown in the signal recording format of FIG.
13
. Recorded in the auxiliary data recording region after the start of recording are first VISS (video index signal search) data representing the recording starting time, and subsequently VASS (video address signal search) data including user data and recording data representing the contents of the recording. The recording data includes data relating, for example, to the channel number, recording date, recording starting time and recording termination time.
When the VCR is manipulated by the user to display the list, the magnetic tape is forwarded fast for playback to read the recording data from the VASS data recording section of the auxiliary data recording region. A recording information display signal is prepared with reference to the read recording data and fed to a TV receiver. As a result, the recording list shown in
FIG. 14
is displayed on the screen of the TV receiver. In the drawing, “CH” means channel number, “DATE” means recording date, “START” means recording stating time and “END” means recording termination time.
However, the recording list shows the channel number, recording date, recording starting time and recording termination time only, and the title of the program is not given as seen in FIG.
14
. The VCR therefore has the problem that the recording list fails to indicate what a particular program is.
To solve the problem, it appears useful to display the title of the program on the screen of the monitor utilizing the title information contained in the XDS signal.
The VCR having such a function will be so adapted that, for example, when the VCR is manipulated by the user to display a title list, the entire broadcast signal recording region shown in
FIG. 13
is searched to extract pieces of title information one after another from the television broadcast signal recorded in the region and display the titles with reference to the extracted title information.
The VCR so constructed nevertheless has the problem that since the broadcast signal recording region has a large area, the extraction of titles requires much time, necessitating a long period of time for completely displaying the list of program titles.
Alternatively, the title information extracted from the television broadcast signal may be recorded in the user data recording area of the VASS data recording section, such that when the VCR is manipulated by the user for the display of titles, pieces of title information are read one after another from the user data recording area to display the titles with reference to the read title information. However, the recorder so designed has the problem that recording of the title information, which is great in quantity, requires much time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a video recording device wherein the RATING information or title information contained in the XDS signal is utilized for controlling the recording operation, so that even in the event of a change in the broadcast starting or termination time of a program, the program recording operation can be started or completed automatically in accordance with the change of the time.
The present invention provides a video recording device for recording on a recording medium television broadcast signals having RATING (viewing prohibition information) superposed thereon for each program, the device comprising:
means for receiving television broadcast signals,
information separating means for separating the RATING information from the television broadcast signal received,
input means for inputting information required for unattended recording of a preselected program,
storage means for storing the input information, and
recording start control means for comparing RATING information input by manipulating the input means with the RATING information separated from the television broadcast signal and starting a recording operation when a match is found between the compared pieces of information.
With the video recording device of the present invention, RATING information, the broadcast starting time of a preselected program, etc. required are input with use of the input means. The device then starts to monitor the RATING information a predetermined period of time before the broadcast starting time of the program, and is automatically initiated into a recording operation upon finding a match between the input RATING information and the RATING information separated from the television broadcast signal.
Accordingly, if the broadcast of the program is started later than is scheduled, a match is not obtained between the two pieces of RATING information until the broadcast of the program is actually started, permitting the device to remain in a standby state for recording. When the broadcast of the program is actually started, the two pieces of RATING information match for the start of the recording operation.
The RATING information comprises several tens of contents provided by items of data in combinations, so that two consecutive programs are least likely to be exactly identical in RATING information.
More specifically, the television broadcast signal contains title information superposed thereon for each program, and the information separating means is capable of separating the RATING information and the title information from the received television broadcast signal, and which comprises information checking means for checking the separated RATING information and/or title information for a change, and recording termination control means for terminating the recording operation when a change is found in the RATING information and/or title informat
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Chevalier Robert
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
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