Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-13
2003-04-29
Chevalier, Robert (Department: 2715)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06556776
ABSTRACT:
This Application is a U.S. National Phase Application of PCT International Application PCT/JP98/02084.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for receiving, recording and reproducing digital video and audio information served through satellite broadcasting, and, more particularly, to a digital signal recording and reproducing apparatus which is compatible with the currently available analog recording method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At the present, digital satellite broadcasting services have been started in the United States as its beginning in Japan and in Europe. In digital satellite broadcasting of this kind, high picture quality, high sound quality and channel multiplexing have been realized by substantially compressing an amount of information signal containing video signal and audio signal with a digital signal compression technique. Also, decoders for decoding transmitted digital information signals into analog format video signals and audio signals have been spreading rapidly.
At the same time, recording methods of the digital signal such as DVC (Digital Video Cassette), DVHS (Digital VHS), etc. are in progress or practical use, in addition to analog recording methods of the currently existing VHS format, SVHS format, etc. as the home use VTR (Video Tape recorder), so as to realize a recording of the video and audio signals for a long period of time without deterioration. Moreover, specifications of digital interface have also been studied in order to transmit signals at a high speed without deterioration among those digital apparatus, and they are now in a process of standardization with the IEEE standard 1394 (IEEE: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.), for example.
Amid these developments, recordings with a higher picture quality and a longer time than the analog signal recording methods of the prior art have come to a reality with a decoder capable of receiving digital satellite broadcastings and a VTR of a digital signal recording method connected via a digital interface.
One example of connecting such digital apparatus of the prior art is shown in FIG.
4
.
In
FIG. 4
, a decoder
35
receives a digital satellite broadcasting, and decodes it into analog video/audio signal. A VTR
36
is a recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing analog video/audio signals, e.g., analog signals in the VHS format, etc., fed in through an input terminal
40
, and also recording and reproducing digital signals, e.g., digital signals in the DVHS format, etc., fed in through an input/output terminal
41
. A TV monitor
11
is a monitor for displaying images and producing sounds by inputting analog video/audio signals output from the decoder
35
and analog video/audio signals output from the VTR
36
, and it has two input terminals
43
and
44
.
The decoder
35
is provided with an input terminal
37
, an output terminal
38
and an input/output terminal
39
. The input terminal
37
inputs received digital video/audio signals, and the output terminal
38
outputs decoded analog video/audio signals. Also, the input/output terminal
39
is a digital interface terminal for the decoder
35
to exchange digital signals with other apparatus.
In the VTR
36
, the external input terminal
40
is for inputting analog video/audio signals, an output terminal
42
is for outputting reproduced analog video/audio signals, and the input/output terminal
41
is a terminal for digital interface.
An output signal of the decoder
35
is fed to the first input terminal
43
of the TV monitor
11
, and an output signal of the VTR
36
is input to the second input terminal
44
of the TV monitor
11
. In viewing images and sounds by receiving a digital broadcasting program, the TV monitor
11
inputs analog video/audio signals from the output terminal
38
via the input terminal
43
, and outputs images and sounds of the program.
Also, when recording a particular information received and selected among digital broadcasting programs, the VTR
36
records digital signals of the images and sounds with a digital signal recording method by connecting the decoder
35
and the VTR
36
with a cable for the digital interface. When reproducing digitally recorded signals, the decoder
35
reads the digital signals from the VTR
36
via the digital interface, decodes them into analog video/audio signals within the decoder
35
, and outputs the analog video/audio signals from the output terminal
38
. Then, the TV monitor
11
inputs the output signals through the input terminal
43
of the TV monitor
11
, and displays the images and produces the sounds.
Next, when a ground wave broadcasting, etc. is received, analog video/audio signals are input from a tuner (not shown in the figure) via the input terminal
40
, and they are recorded in a magnetic tape with an analog signal recording method such as the VHS format. When the magnetic tape, recorded in the analog format as above, is played-back with the VTR
36
, the video/audio signals are output from the output terminal
42
, they are then fed to the input terminal
44
of the TV monitor
11
, and the TV monitor
11
displays the images and produces the sounds.
As described, the TV monitor
11
inputs analog signals from the first input terminal
43
, when receiving and viewing a digital broadcasting, and when reproducing and viewing recorded digital video/audio signals with the VTR
36
. Also, when reproducing analog video/audio signals recorded in the existing VHS format, etc., the TV monitor
11
inputs the analog signals from the second input terminal
44
.
Accordingly, a viewer must switch an input to the monitor, when receiving and viewing a digital broadcasting, and when reproducing and viewing recorded digital video/audio signals with the VTR
36
, or when reproducing analog video/audio signals recorded in the existing VHS format, etc.
One of the reasons for necessitating two input terminals on the TV monitor is that it is not desirable, in view of concern about a copyright, is to provide a condition allowing a digital signal to be taken out of a decoder in a form of easily decodable digital signal. In other words, a digital signal output from the decoder
35
via the digital interface shall not be an easily decodable digital signal. Hence, the decoder for digital broadcasting must decodes digital information signal it inputs, and outputs it as an analog signal. Also, when utilizing other recording apparatus for digital signals, the digital signals shall not be easily decodable signals.
For the above reason, if a decoder for digital broadcasting and a VTR for digital broadcasting having a compatibility with the existing analog recording method are composed separately, an input for the TV monitor must be switched every time when receiving and viewing a digital broadcasting, and when reproducing and viewing signals recorded with the existing analog recording method such as the VHS format, etc. It is especially annoying for an elderly viewer not familiar with manipulation of the audio/video apparatus to switch a source of audio/video signals by using a selector. Moreover, the viewer is afflicted even more with this problem, if the TV monitor is equipped only with one input terminal. Therefore, it is desirable to make audio/video apparatus capable of outputting a program, which is determined as what is desired to watch, to a TV monitor without requiring a switching manipulation.
The present invention is derived in consideration of the above-described problem of the prior art, and it aims at realizing a digital signal recording and reproducing apparatus, which is capable of providing an enjoyment of receiving new services of the digital broadcasting without necessitating to switch an input of a TV monitor, and viewing and listening to images and sounds that is recorded with the existing analog recording method such as the VHS format.
Although the VTR
36
records a signal fed through the input terminal
40
in the analog format, an input of the TV monitor
11
must be switched, ev
Morimoto Kenji
Nakagaki Hirofumi
Ochi Atsuo
Usuki Naoshi
Chevalier Robert
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
RatnerPrestia
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