Method and apparatus for creating an enhanced photo digital video disc

• US 20040223747A1
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROVI Product Corporation (Xperi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Vannier, Eric, Otala, Tapani
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/125
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• 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 27/329 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A method and apparatus for creating an enhanced photo digital video disc (DVD) communicates with connected sources such as a digital camera, PC, or memory card where information such as digital photo, movie and music files are downloaded, as selected by the user, and stored on a storage device. The user creates slide shows of photos stored on the storage device that show each photo and/or movie in sequence or with transition special effects between photos. The invention extracts photo metadata from the photo image file and stores the information on the storage device along with the photos and Includes any audio annotation(s) associated with the downloaded photos and downloaded audio files that the user can attach to a photo in the slide show. When the user wants to save slide show(s) to a DVD the invention constructs an MPEG stream containing the photos, movies, and audio annotations. Photo metadata are encoded onto the DVD as closed captioning and/or subpictures, selectable for display at viewing time. The invention creates index tables for each slide show MPEG stream on the DVD that point to key locations in an MPEG program stream. Metadata for slide shows can also be stored onto a DVD that allow the user to add more detailed notes as to the description of a particular slide show.

Claims

1. A process for creating and using an enhanced photo digital video disc (DVD), comprising the steps of:

retrieving photo and/or movie files from a connected source;

wherein said connected source includes, but is not limited to;

a digital camera, a personal computer,.or a memory card;

storing said photo and/or movie files on a storage device;

providing slide show creation means for allowing a user to create a slide show from said stored photo and/or movie files;

forming a digital stream for said slide show;

creating an index table;

wherein entries in said index table point to specific frames within said digital stream;

wherein said creating step selects said specific frames at predefined intervals;

writing said digital stream onto a DVD according to a DVD standard; and

writing said index table onto said DVD.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating a new directory on said DVD that is not a DVD standard directory; and

wherein said index table is written into said directory.

3. The process of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

storing metadata associated with said digital stream in said directory; and

wherein said metadata contains information regarding the content of said digital stream.

4. The process of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

reading said metadata from said DVD; and

displaying metadata to a user when the user inquires about said digital stream.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein a user selects the photo and/or movie files to be retrieved from said connected source.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein said retrieving step retrieves audio files from said connected source, and wherein said storing step stores said audio files on said storage device.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein a user selects the audio files to be retrieved from said connected source.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein said slide show creation means allows a user to create a slide show using said audio files as annotations.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein said slide show creation means allows a user to create transition special effects between photos and/or movies in a slide show.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein said slide show creation means allows a user to create a slide show using said audio annotations extracted from a connected soource.

11. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

extracting photo metadata from a stored photo file; and

wherein said slide show creation means encodes said photo metadata as a closed caption signal or as a subpicture.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein said slide show creation means creates a pan/zoom alternate digital stream for a photo or a movie.

13. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating a new directory on said DVD that is not a DVD standard directory; and

wherein said original stored photos and/or movies used in a slide show are stored in said directory.

14. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reading an index table from said DVD;

playing a digital stream on said DVD to a user;

receiving user commands for said playing step to perform special effects during playback of said digital stream that includes, but is not limited to;

variable rate fast forward and rewind, frame step, pause, skip to index, and play functions; and

wherein said playing step uses said index table to reference frames within said digital stream to perform said special effects.

15. An apparatus for creating and using an enhanced photo digital video disc (DVD), comprising:

a module for retrieving photo and/or movie files from a connected source;

wherein said connected source includes, but is not limited to;

a digital camera, a personal computer, or a memory card;

a module for storing said photo and/or movie files on a storage device;

slide show creation means for allowing a user to create a slide show from said stored photo and/or movie files;

a module for forming a digital stream for said slide show;

a module for creating an index table;

wherein entries in said index table point to specific frames within said digital stream;

wherein said creating module selects said specific frames at predefined intervals;

writing said digital stream onto a DVD according to a DVD standard; and

writing said index table onto said DVD.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a module for creating a new directory on said DVD that is not a DVD standard directory; and

wherein said index table is written into said directory.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a module for storing metadata associated with said digital stream in said directory; and

wherein said metadata contains information regarding the content of said digital stream.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a module for reading said metadata from said DVD; and

a module for displaying metadata to a user when the user inquires about said digital stream.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a user selects the photo and/or movie files to be retrieved from said connected source.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said retrieving module retrieves audio files form said connected source, and wherein said storing module stores said audio files on said storage device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a user selects the audio files to be retrieved from said connected source.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said slide show creation means allows a user to create a slide show using said audio files as annotations.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said slide show creation means allows a user to create transition special effects between photos and/or movies in a slide show.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said slide show creation means allows a user to create a slide show using said audio annotations extracted from a connected source.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a module for extracting photo metadata from a stored photo file; and

wherein said slide show creation means encodes said photo metadata as a closed caption signal or as a subpicture.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said slide show creation means creates a pan/zoom alternate digital stream for a photo or movie.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a module for creating a new directory on said DVD that is not a DVD standard directory; and

wherein said original stored photos and/or movies used in a slide show are stored in said directory.

28. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a module for reading an index table from said DVD;

a module for playing a digital stream on said DVD to a user;

a module for receiving user commands for said playing module to perform special effects during playback of said digital stream that includes, but is not limited to;

variable rate fast forward and rewind, frame step, pause, skip to index, and play functions; and

wherein said playing module uses said index table to reference frames within said digital stream to perform said special effects.