Private video recorder

• US 20030172383A1
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tani, Kazuhiko, Takagi, Toshihiro, Nagamura, Yoshihisa, Okabe, Kenichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2575 DVD-RAMs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

In a private video recorder for recording contents of TV program delivered from TV stations, data of the contents of TV program (contents data) are memorized into segments in a contents data memory area, and the contents data are controlled as one video picture file by appointing the segments memorizing the contents data in segment appointing information of the video picture file. When the contents recorded in the private video recorder is edited, only the appointment of the segments in the segment appointing information is rewritten without cutting, copying or inserting the contents data.

Claims

1. A private video recorder having a file editing function for editing a video picture file by rewriting index information which is used for controlling the video picture file comprising:

a receiver for receiving TV broadcasting signals delivered from TV stations;

a contents accumulator having a contents data memory area constituted by a plurality of segments of a predetermined memory capacity for memorizing contents data of TV program obtained from the TV broadcasting signals received by the receiver and an index information memory area for memorizing index information used for controlling the contents data memorized into the contents data memory area;

an operation apparatus to be operated by a user for selecting a function among recording of the contents of TV program, editing of the recorded contents and reproducing of the recorded or edited contents; and

a controller for controlling the recording, editing and reproducing of the contents;

wherein

the controller controls the contents data memorized into the segments appointed by the same segments appointing information as one video picture file;

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to record the contents of TV program, the controller stores the contents data of TV program obtained from the TV broadcasting signals into predetermined segments in the contents data memory area, stores segment appointing information for appointing the segments memorizing the contents data into the index information memory area;

when the editing of the recorded contents is selected, the controller rewrites the segment appointing information for editing the contents data controlled as one video picture file without destructing the contents data memorized into the segments; and

when the reproducing of the contents is selected, the controller reads out the contents data memorized into the contents data memory area as a unit of the video picture file so as to reproduce the recorded or edited contents.

2. The private video recorder in accordance with claim 1, wherein

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to edit the contents, the controller forms a backup copy of the segment appointing information in the index information memory area, and rewrites the segment appointing information correspondingly to the edit operation by the user, and

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to turn back the edited video picture file after the edit operation of the contents, the controller renders the backup copy of the segment appointing information available.

3. The private video recorder in accordance with claim 2, wherein

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to finish the edit operation after the edit operation of the contents, the controller erases the backup copy of the segment appointing information from the index information memory area.

4. The private video recorder in accordance with claim 1, wherein

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to record the contents of TV program, the controller stores program guides showing substances of the contents data memorized into the segments into the index information memory area;

and

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to execute predetermined process, the controller forms a recorded contents referring picture, in which the substances of the contents data are listed, with using the program guides memorized into the index information memory area.

5. A private video recorder having a file editing function for editing a video picture file by rewriting index information which is used for controlling the video picture file comprising:

a receiver for receiving TV broadcasting signals delivered from TV stations;

a contents accumulator having a contents data memory area constituted by a plurality of segments of a predetermined memory capacity for memorizing contents data of TV program obtained from the TV broadcasting signals received by the receiver and an index information memory area for memorizing index information used for controlling the contents data memorized into the contents data memory area;

an operation apparatus to be operated by a user for selecting a function among recording of the contents of TV program, editing of the recorded contents and reproducing of the recorded or edited contents; and

a controller for controlling the recording, editing and reproducing of the contents;

wherein

the controller controls the contents data memorized into the segments appointed by the same segments appointing information as one video picture file, and allocates a predetermined number of segments in the contents data memory area to a circulation buffer area into which contents data obtained from the TV broadcasting signals are constantly memorized while the TV broadcasting signals have been received;

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to record the contents of TV program, the controller stores the contents data of TV program obtained from the TV broadcasting signals into predetermined segments in the contents data memory area, stores segment appointing information for appointing the segments memorizing the contents data into the index information memory area;

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to record past contents of TV program already received, the controller newly forms segments appointing information for appointing the segments in the circulation buffer area into which past contents data of the past contents of TV program to be recorded are memorized into the index information memory area; and

when the reproducing of the contents is selected, the controller reads out the contents data memorized into the contents data memory area as a unit of the video picture file so as to reproduce the recorded contents.

6. The private video recorder in accordance with claim 5, wherein

the controller newly allocate segments in the contents data memory area to the circulation buffer area, when the segments into which the contents data of the past contents of TV program to be recorded are appointed in the newly formed segments appointing information.

7. The private video recorder in accordance with claim 5, wherein

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to record the contents of TV program, the controller stores program guides showing substances of the contents data memorized into the segments into the index information memory area;

when the contents data is memorized into the segments in the circulation buffer area, the controller further stores program guides showing substances of the contents data memorized into the segments in the circulation buffer area into the index information memory area; and

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to execute predetermined process, the controller forms a recorded contents referring picture, in which the substances of the contents data are listed, with using the program guides memorized into the index information memory area.

8. A private video recorder having a file editing function for editing a video picture file by rewriting index information which is used for controlling the video picture file comprising:

a receiver for receiving TV broadcasting signals delivered from TV stations;

a contents accumulator having a contents data memory area constituted by a plurality of segments of a predetermined memory capacity for memorizing contents data of TV program obtained from the TV broadcasting signals received by the receiver and an index information memory area for memorizing index information used for controlling the contents data memorized into the contents data memory area;

an operation apparatus to be operated by a user for selecting a function among recording of the contents of TV program, editing of the recorded contents and reproducing of the recorded or edited contents; and

a controller for controlling the recording, editing and reproducing of the contents;

wherein

the controller controls the contents data memorized into the segments appointed by the same segments appointing information as one video picture file;

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to record the contents of TV program, the controller stores the contents data of TV program obtained from the TV broadcasting signals into predetermined segments in the contents data memory area, stores segment appointing information for appointing the segments memorizing the contents data into the index information memory area, and controls the contents data memorized into the segments appointed by the same segment appointing information as one video picture file;

when at least a segment memorizing only the contents data of no signal state or restricted viewing exists, the controller rewrites the segment appointing information appointing the segment memorizing only the contents data of no signal state or restricted the viewing so as to appoint to another segment memorizing contents data of hypothetical blank picture; and

when the reproducing of the contents is selected, the controller reads out the contents data memorized into the contents data memory area as a unit of the video picture file so as to reproduce the recorded contents.

9. The private video recorder in accordance with claim 8, wherein

the controller releases the segments memorizing the contents data of no signal state or restricted the viewing after rewriting the segments appointing information.

10. The private video recorder in accordance with claim 8, wherein

the controller senses whether all the contents data memorized into one segment are no signal state or restricted the viewing or not with respect to all the segments into which the contents data are memorized after the recording the contents data into the segments in the contents data memory area, automatically.

11. The private video recorder in accordance with claim 8, wherein

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to record the contents of TV program, the controller stores program guides showing substances of the contents data memorized into the segments into the index information memory area;

and

when the operation apparatus is operated by the user so as to execute predetermined process, the controller forms a recorded contents referring picture, in which the substances of the contents data are listed, with using the program guides memorized into the index information memory area.