Moving-picture data reproducing system

• US 20020126762A1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shigekazu
• Application Number:
  US10/091,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126762A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/132 Sampling, masking or truncation of coding units, e.g. adaptive resampling, frame skipping, frame interpolation or high-frequency transform coefficient masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/577 Motion compensation with bidirectional frame interpolation, i.e. using B-pictures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/587 involving temporal sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. decimation or subsequent interpolation of pictures in a video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A moving-picture data reproducing system judges whether the user is qualified or unqualified and whether or not the picture data includes toll information as electronic watermark. If the picture data includes toll information and the user is unqualified, B-pictures are removed and preceding I- or P-pictures are delivered instead of the removed B-pictures. The reduced picture data has unsmooth motion and urges the user to subscribe the content service of moving-picture data.

Claims

1. A moving-picture data reproducing system for reproducing compressed moving-picture data including I-pictures, P-pictures and B-pictures, said reproducing system comprising:

a toll judgement section for judging whether or not the compressed moving picture data includes toll information;

a qualification judgement section for judging whether a user is qualified or unqualified for reproduction of the compressed picture data; and

a decoder for decoding the I-pictures, P-pictures and B-pictures if it is judged that the compressed picture data do not include toll information or it is judged that the user is qualified, said decoder decoding I-pictures or I- and P-pictures without decoding the B- and P-pictures or without decoding the B-pictures if it is judged that the compressed data includes the toll information and that the user is unqualified.

2. The moving-picture data reproducing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the toll information is electronic watermark data distributed in the compressed picture data.

3. The moving-picture data reproducing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said decoder comprises a reduction judgment section for generating a reduction picture signal based on results of judgement by said toll judgement section and said qualification judgement section.

4. The moving-picture data reproducing system as defined in claim 3, wherein said decoder comprises a picture type judgement section for judging whether the picture in the compressed moving-picture data is an I-, P- or B-picture, said decoder delivering preceding I-pictures instead of decoding B- and P-pictures upon generation of said reduction picture signal.

5. The moving-picture data reproducing system as defined in claim 3, wherein said decoder comprises a picture type judgement section for judging whether the picture in the compressed moving-picture data is an I-, P- or B-picture, said decoder delivering preceding I- or P-pictures instead of decoding B-pictures upon generation of said reduction picture signal.

6. A method for reproducing compressed moving-picture data including I-pictures, P-pictures and B-pictures, said method comprising the steps of:

judging whether or not the compressed moving-picture data includes toll information;

judging whether a user is qualified or unqualified for reproduction of the compressed moving-picture data; and

decoding the I-pictures, P-pictures and B-pictures, if it is judged that the compressed moving-picture data do not include toll information or it is judged that the user is qualified, and decoding the I-pictures or the I- and P-pictures if it is judged that the compressed data includes the toll information and that the user is unqualified.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein said decoding step comprises the steps of judging whether the picture in the compressed moving-picture data is an I-, P- or B-picture, and delivering preceding I-pictures instead of decoding B- and P-pictures, depending on results of judgements by said judgement steps.

8. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein said decoding step comprises the steps of judging whether the picture in the compressed moving-picture data is an I-, P- or B-picture, and delivering preceding I- or P-pictures instead of decoding B-pictures, depending on results of judgements by said judgement steps.