Method and apparatus for processing images, method and apparatus for recording and reproducing images, and television receiver utilizing the same

• US 20030229894A1
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Shigeyuki, Okada, Shinichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/41
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/326 used signal is a video-frame or a video-field (P.I.P.)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

The moving images under reproduction are displayed in a main screen and a plurality of thumbnail images that serve as indexes by which to search for a desired scene are displayed. Moreover, the thus displayed thumbnail images are updated at a predetermined timing according as the moving images progress.

Claims

1. An image processing method, including:

controlling to cause to display, at the time when moving images are displayed, a plurality of reduced images in a manner such that a temporal relation of the reduced images to progression of the moving images is recognizable; and

controlling to cause to update the displayed reduced images according to the progression of the moving images.

2. An image processing apparatus, including:

a display controller which displays, at the time of displaying moving images, a plurality of reduced images on a same screen displaying the moving images, in a manner such that a temporal relation of the reduced images to progression of the moving images is recognizable; and

a reduced-image updating unit which updates the displayed reduced images according to the progression of the moving images.

3. Apparatus for recording and reproducing images, including:

an image extracting unit which acquires moving image signals and extracts unit images that constitute the moving images;

an image selector which selects an original image of an index image used in the search of a desired scene among the moving images, from the unit images extracted by said image extracting unit;

a first data recorder which stores the moving images;

an index image generator which generates the index image by reducing the size of the selected original image;

a second data recorder which records and stores the index image in a manner such that the index image is associated with the original image;

an index image specifying unit which selects a predetermined index image from said second data recorder, according to progression of the moving images; and

an index updating unit which updates the index image according to progression of the moving images.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, further including:

an index area generator which generates an index display area constituted by using the index image so that a relationship in terms of time with the moving images can be recognized; and

a display controller which controls to cause to arrange and display the moving images and the index display area on a same screen.

15. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said image selector selects the original image of the index image at predetermined intervals.

16. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said image selector selects the original image of the index image, based on a user'"'"'s instruction.

17. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said image selector selects the original image of the index image at timing when a scene of the moving images greatly changes.

18. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said image selector selects the original image of the index image at timing provided by a maker of the moving images.

20. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the moving images are constituted by a plurality of chapters, said image selector selects a top image of the chapters as the original image of the index image.

21. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the moving images are constituted by a plurality of chapters and the chapter is provided with an image for use with search, said image selector selects the image for use with search as the original image of the index image.

23. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image selector sets the predetermined time intervals in accordance with a state prior to extraction of the original image of the index image.

4. Apparatus for recording and reproducing images, including:

a first decoder which acquires coded data and decodes unit images that constitute moving images;

an image selector which selects an original image of an index image used in the search of a desired scene among the moving images, from the unit images decoded by said first decoder;

a first data recorder which stores the coded data;

an index image generator which generates the index image by reducing the size of the selected original image;

an encoder which intra-image codes the index image and compresses a data amount of the index image;

a second data recorder which stores the coded index image in a manner such that the index image is associated with the original image;

a second decoder which selects and decodes a predetermined index image along with progression of the moving images; and

an index updating unit which controls to cause to update the decoded index image along with progression of the moving images.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, further including:

an index area generator which generates an index display area constituted by using the index image so that a relationship in terms of time with the moving images can be recognized; and

a display controller which controls to cause to arrange and displays the moving images and the index display area on a same screen.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first and second decoders are combined to a single structure.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first and second decoders are combined to a single structure.

19. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image selector selects the original image of the index image at timing provided by a maker of the moving images.

22. Apparatus according to claim 4, further including a third decoder which decodes audio data contained in the coded data, wherein said image selector refers to the audio data decoded by said third decoder and selects the original image of the index image at timing when sound volume thereof greatly changes.

9. Apparatus for recording and reproducing images, including:

a first MPEG decoder which acquires coded data that are moving image signals coded in compliance with an MPEG standard, and which decodes unit images that constitute moving images;

an image selector which selects an original image of an index image used in the search of a desired scene among the moving images, from the unit images decoded by said first MPEG decoder;

a first data recorder which stores the coded data;

an index image generator which generates an index image by reducing the size of the selected unit images;

an MPEG encoder which intra-image codes the index image;

a second data recorder which stores the coded index image in a manner such that the coded index image is associated with an original image thereof;

a second MPEG decoder which decodes a predetermined index image;

an index area generator which generates an index area constituted by using the decoded index image so that a relationship in terms of time with progression of the moving images can be recognized; and

a display controller which controls to cause to display the index area.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first and second MPEG decoders are combined into a single structure.

11. A television receiver, including:

a tuner unit which receives television broadcast signal waves that has been subject to a predetermined modulation, and which demodulates the signal waves into transport streams in which moving image signals coded in compliance with an MPEG standard are multiplexed;

a TS separator which separates coded data of the moving image signals from the transport streams;

a first MPEG decoder which acquires the coded data and decodes unit images that constitute moving images;

a first data recorder which stores the coded moving image signals;

an image selector which selects an original image of an index image used in the search of a desired scene among the moving images, from the unit images decoded by said first MPEG decoder;

an index image generator which generates an index image by reducing the size of the selected unit images;

an MPEG encoder which intra-image codes the index image;

a second data recorder which stores the coded index image in a manner such that the coded index image is associated with an original image thereof;

a second MPEG decoder which decodes a predetermined index image;

an index area generator which generates an index area constituted by using the decoded index image so that a relationship in terms of time with progression of the moving images can be recognized;

a display controller which controls to cause to display the index area; and

a scene determining unit which, in the event that any of the index images constituting the index area is selected by a user, resumes progression of the moving images from an image associated with the selected index image.

13. A television receiver according to claim 11, wherein said first and second MPEG decoder are combined into a single structure.

12. A television receiver, including:

a tuner unit which receives television broadcast signal waves that has been subject to a predetermined modulation, and which demodulates the signal waves into transport streams in which moving image signals coded in compliance with an MPEG standard are multiplexed;

a TS separator which separates coded data of the moving image signals from the transport streams;

a first MPEG decoder which acquires the coded data and decodes unit images that constitute moving images;

a first data recorder which stores the transport streams;

an image selector which selects an original image of an index image used in the search of a desired scene among the moving images, from the unit images decoded by said first MPEG decoder;

an index image generator which generates an index image by reducing the size of the selected unit images;

an MPEG encoder which intra-image codes the index image;

a second data recorder which stores the coded index image in a manner such that the coded index image is associated with an original image thereof;

a second MPEG decoder which decodes a predetermined index image;

an index area generator which generates an index area constituted by using the decoded index image so that a relationship in terms of time with progression of the moving images can be recognized;

a display controller which controls to cause to display the index area; and

a scene determining unit which, in the event that any of the index images constituting the index area is selected by a user, resumes a display of the moving images from an image associated with the selected index image.

14. A television receiver according to claim 12, wherein said first and second MPEG decoder are combined into a single structure.