Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1996-08-23
2001-05-01
Garber, Wendy (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226447
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video signal recording and reproducing apparatus which can simultaneously record and reproduce a video by using a disk apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A video tape recorder (VTR) has heretofore been used as a home-use video recording apparatus. As is well known, a VTR receives a broadcast program transmitted by a broadcasting station via an antenna, records the program and then reproduces the program. That is to say, having once finished the recording operation of a predetermined program, the VTR rewinds the tape on which the program has been recorded and then reproduces the received and recorded program to be watched.
A currently available VTR cannot record and reproduce a video simultaneously. For example, assuming that a broadcast program which starts at 10 o'clock and ends at 12 o'clock is now being received and recorded by a single VTR, it is impossible to reproduce and watch the broadcast program from the beginning from 11 o'clock on, while continuing receiving and recording the program. It is much less impossible to perform a trick play reproducing operation (e.g., a fast-forward reproducing operation or a backward reproducing operation) of a recorded video of a program which is now being received and recorded. On the other hand, a technique which is called “following reproducing operation” is currently utilized for a live broadcast relayed by a broadcasting station. In accordance with this technique, a video which has been transmitted to a broadcasting station is slightly delayed and then delivered substantially in real time. However, in such a case, it is necessary to use either a plurality of VTRs or an optical disk apparatus of a special type in which a recording head and a reproducing head are separately provided, for simultaneously performing the recording and the reproducing operations. If a plurality of VTRs are simultaneously used, then it becomes adversely complicated to operate these apparatuses. On the other hand, the use of such an optical disk apparatus of a special type disadvantageously increases the costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a video signal recording and reproducing apparatus is provided. The video signal recording and reproducing apparatus of the invention includes: receiving means for receiving a television signal; image compression means for compressing an amount of information per unit time of the received continuous video signal; writing means for intermittently writing a compressed video signal, obtained as an output of the image compression means, onto a hard disk apparatus via a magnetic head; reading means for intermittently reading out the written compressed video signal from the hard disk apparatus via the magnetic head; decoding means for restoring the read compressed video signal into an original video signal; display means for displaying the restored video signal; and control means for controlling the writing means and the reading means such that writing the video signal onto the hard disk apparatus and reading an arbitrary video signal, which was previously written onto the hard disk apparatus, from the hard disk apparatus are performed apparently simultaneously and continuously.
In one embodiment, a compressed video signal which was recorded at an earliest time is sequentially updated by a newly received and obtained compressed video signal.
In another embodiment, an audio signal, as well as a compressed video signal, is recorded onto the hard disk apparatus.
In still another embodiment, the video signal recording and reproducing apparatus further includes instruction means for starting and/or finishing recording a compressed video signal onto the hard disk apparatus.
In still another embodiment, the video signal recording and reproducing apparatus further includes instruction means for starting and/or finishing reproducing a compressed video signal from the hard disk apparatus.
In still another embodiment, the instruction means for starting recording a compressed video signal onto the hard disk apparatus is instantaneously driven manually.
In still another embodiment, the instruction means for starting recording a compressed video signal onto the hard disk apparatus is driven by timer means.
In still another embodiment, the instruction means for finishing recording a compressed video signal onto the hard disk apparatus is driven by timer means.
In still another embodiment, the instruction means for starting reproducing a compressed video signal from the hard disk apparatus is instantaneously driven manually.
In still another embodiment, the display means displays at least a time difference between a time at which a video signal which is being reproduced was recorded and a current time, in addition to a video.
In still another embodiment, the display means displays at least a current time and a time at which a video signal which is being reproduced was recorded, in addition to a video.
In still another embodiment, the video signal recording and reproducing apparatus includes operation means for setting a normal reproduction, a fast forward reproduction, a backward reproduction or a slow reproduction as a reproduction mode.
In still another embodiment, the display means simultaneously displays a received video signal and an output of the decoding means which was previously recorded, reproduced and decoded.
In still another embodiment, the video signal recording and reproducing apparatus further includes television signal detection means for determining whether or not the receiving means has received a normal television signal and writing onto the hard disk apparatus is enabled only when the television signal detection means has detected a normal television signal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a video signal recording and reproducing apparatus is provided. The video signal recording and reproducing apparatus includes: image compression means for digitizing an input continuous video signal and audio signal, thereby compressing an amount of information per unit time; writing means for intermittently writing a compressed video signal, obtained as an output of the image compression means, onto a hard disk apparatus via a magnetic head; reading means for intermittently reading out the written compressed video signal from the hard disk apparatus via the magnetic head; decoding means for restoring the read compressed video signal into an original video signal; and display means for displaying the restored video signal, thereby reading out predetermined video and audio signals at a predetermined time.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a video signal recording and reproducing apparatus is provided. The video signal recording and reproducing apparatus includes: image compression means for digitizing an input continuous video signal and audio signal, thereby compressing an amount of information per unit time; writing means for intermittently writing a compressed video signal, obtained as an output of the image compression means, onto a hard disk apparatus via a magnetic head; reading means for intermittently reading out the written compressed video signal from the hard disk apparatus via the magnetic head; decoding means for restoring the read compressed video signal into an original video signal; display means for displaying the restored video signal; and sound recognition means for recognizing an audio signal. In the video signal recording and reproducing apparatus, predetermined video and audio signals are read out at a point of time when the sound recognition means recognizes a predetermined sound.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a video signal recording and reproducing apparatus is provided. The video signal recording and reproducing apparatus includes: image compression means for digitizing an input continuous video signal and audio signal, thereby compressing an amount of information per unit time; writing mea
Katou Yoshikazu
Sasaki Seishi
Garber Wendy
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Onuaku Christopher
Renner Otto Boisselle & Sklar
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