Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-07-24
Chevalier, Robert (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000, C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266478
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information record medium such as an optical disk of a high recording density type, which is capable of recording information such as video information, audio information and the like at a high density, and which is represented by a DVD (Digital Video or Versatile Disk). The present invention also relates to a recording apparatus for recording the information onto the information record medium, and a reproducing apparatus for reproducing the information from the information record medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a so-called LD (Laser Disk) and a so-called CD (Compact Disk) are generalized as optical disks, on which information such as video information, audio information and the like is recorded.
On the LD, the CD or the like, the video information and the audio information are recorded together with time information indicating a time at which each information is to be reproduced with respect to a reproduction start position, which each LD or the like has, as a standard position. Thus, other than a general normal reproduction to reproduce the recorded information in the order of recording, various special reproductions are possible, such as a reproduction to extract and listen to an only desirable music out of a plurality of recorded musics, a reproduction to listen to the recorded musics in a random order and so on, in case of the CD, for example.
However, there is a problem that, according to the above mentioned CD, LD or the like, a so-called interactive and variegated reproduction is not possible in which the audience can have a plurality of selection branches as for the video or audio information to be displayed or sound-outputted and in which the audience can select them to watch or listen to it. Especially, it is not possible to perform such a complicated reproduction that the audience can select a desirable menu on a so-called GUI (Graphical User Interface) picture plane, in which a sub picture of a transparent user menu etc. is superimposed and displayed on a main picture.
On the other hand, various proposals and developments are being made as for the DVD, as an optical disk in which the memory capacity is improved by about ten times without changing the size of the optical disk itself as compared with the aforementioned conventional CD. According to the knowledge of the present inventors, it is anticipated that it is possible, as for the DVD having such a large memory capacity, to record the, sub picture information in addition to the audio information and the video information, and constitute the aforementioned GUI picture plane which is obtained by reproducing the main and sub pictures; and further highlight-display one portion of the sub picture (e.g., display to emphasize one portion by changing the brightness and/or the chroma). Here, it is anticipated that a highlight-display of merely superimposing a static sub picture on a main picture can be realized rather easily by employing the conventional technique of superimposing the subtitles on a movie. On the other hand, in this kind of DVD of a large memory capacity type, it is anticipated that the aforementioned interactive reproduction can be performed.
However, if the highlight-displayed portion of the sub picture is tried to be moved at a high speed, it is anticipated that the time control with respect to the highlight-displayed portion of the sub picture, which is reproduced on the basis of a plurality of informations such as the main picture information (i.e. the video information), the sub picture information. The control information and soon, would be complicated and difficult. In addition, in order to perform the interactive reproduction on the display picture plane at the same function level as that of the personal computer, it is anticipated that the precise time management will be necessary for the highlight-displayed portion of the sub picture.
Further, in the technical art of the DVD, the actuality is such that a person having an ordinary skill in this art does not even recognize the subject itself to move the highlight-displayed portion of the sub picture at a high speed or to realize the interactive reproduction on the display picture plane at the same function level as that of the personal computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information record medium, which enables a precise setting of an effective time period of the highlight display or the operation control of the sub picture, and also provide an apparatus for recording the same, and an apparatus for reproducing the same.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by an information record medium having a record track to be reproduced by an information reproducing apparatus. The information reproducing apparatus is provided with a read device, is capable of reproducing sub picture information while relatively moving the read device along the record track recorded with at least the sub picture information and is also capable of performing a highlight display of the sub picture information. In the information record medium of the present invention, at least the sub picture information and reproduction control information to control a reproduction of the sub picture information by the information reproducing apparatus are recorded on the record tract such that the sub picture information and the reproduction control information are divided into a plurality of groups, each of which is a predetermined unit able to be accessed by the information reproducing apparatus and each of which comprises a sub picture pack in which the sub picture information is contained and a control pack in which the reproduction control information is contained. The reproduction control information comprises (i) highlight display control information prescribing at least one of the highlight display of the sub picture information and an operation control corresponding to the sub picture information and (ii) time management information indicating times to manage a start time and an end time respectively of at least one of an effective time period during which the highlight display is effective and an effective time period during which the operation control is effective by a predetermined unit finer than the predetermined unit of the data group.
According to the information record medium of the present invention, at least the sub picture information and the reproduction control information are recorded on the record track such that they are divided into a plurality of groups, each of which is a predetermined unit able to be accessed by the information reproducing apparatus. Each of the groups comprises the sub picture pack, in which the sub picture information is contained, and the control pack, in which the reproduction control information is contained. Here, the reproduction control information comprises (i) the highlight display control information prescribing at least one of the highlight display of the sub picture information and the operation control corresponding to the sub picture information and (ii) the time management information indicating times to manage the start time and the end time of at least one of the effective time periods of the highlight display and the operation control, by a predetermined unit finer than the predetermined unit of the data group. Thus, at the time of reproduction, it is possible to perform the highlight display and the operation control of the sub picture in accordance with the highlight display information as the occasion demand. And that, at the time of this performance, the start and end of the effective time period of the highlight display and the operation control can be set precisely as for the time in accordance with the time management information, especially.
Accordingly, it is possible to perform the highlight display and the operation control of the sub picture precisely as for the time, by use of a rather simple hardware construction
Moriyama Yoshiaki
Sawabe Takao
Tozaki Akihiro
Yamamoto Kaoru
Yoshimura Ryuichiro
Chevalier Robert
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Pioneer Electronic Corporation
LandOfFree
Information record medium, apparatus for recording the same... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Information record medium, apparatus for recording the same..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Information record medium, apparatus for recording the same... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2542033