Motion picture storage apparatus and motion picture distributing system

• US 20050055710A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumura, Atsushi, Kodama, Tomoya, Yamaguchi, Noboru, Masuda, Tadaaki, Aoki, Hisashi, Iwata, Tatsuaki, Masukura, Koichi
• Application Number:
  US10/717,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20050055710A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A motion picture storage apparatus includes: a motion picture input unit which inputs motion picture data; a motion picture storage unit which sequentially stores the motion picture data; a condition storage unit which stores a condition related to a desirable scene previously set by a user; a motion picture analyzing unit configured to analyze the motion picture data stored in the motion picture storage unit to check whether a scene satisfying the condition is present, and configured to acquire specifying information of the scene satisfying the condition when the scene satisfying the condition is present; and an information notifying unit which notifies the specifying information to a device of the user.

Claims

1. A motion picture storage apparatus, comprising:

a motion picture input unit which inputs motion picture data;

a motion picture storage unit which sequentially stores the motion picture data;

a condition storage unit which stores a condition related to a desirable scene previously set by a user;

a motion picture analyzing unit configured to analyze the motion picture data stored in the motion picture storage unit to check whether a scene satisfying the condition is present, and configured to acquire specifying information of the scene satisfying the condition when the scene satisfying the condition is present; and

an information notifying unit which notifies the specifying information to a device of the user.

2. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a motion picture output unit which outputs the motion picture data stored in the motion picture storage unit to a device designated by the user;

wherein, when the specifying information is designated by the user, the motion picture output unit outputs motion picture data of a scene designated by the specifying information.

3. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the condition storage unit further stores a modification condition previously set by the user, for modifying a motion picture of the desirable scene;

and

the motion picture output unit modifies the motion picture data of the scene designated by the specifying information in accordance with the modification condition and outputs the modified motion picture data to the device of the user.

4. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motion picture data inputted by the motion picture input unit include at least one of a motion picture, coded data of the motion picture, and coded data of metadata containing the motion picture.

5. A motion picture storage apparatus comprising:

a motion picture input unit which inputs motion picture data including at least one of a motion picture, coded data of the motion picture, and coded data of metadata containing the motion picture;

a motion picture storage unit which sequentially stores the motion picture data;

a condition storage unit which stores a condition related to a desirable scene previously set by a user;

a motion picture analyzing unit configured to analyze the motion picture data stored in the motion picture storage unit to check whether a scene satisfying the condition is present, and configured to acquire specifying information of the scene satisfying the condition when the scene satisfying the condition is present; and

a motion picture output unit which outputs to a device of the user motion picture data of the scene designated by the specifying information when the scene satisfying the condition is contained in the motion picture data analyzed by the motion picture analyzing unit.

6. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the motion picture output unit outputs the motion picture data after a data format of the motion picture data has been converted into a data format preset by the user.

7. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the motion picture input unit receives motion picture data including sound data and picture data;

and

the motion picture analyzing unit analyzes the sound data and the picture data.

8. A motion picture storage apparatus, comprising:

a motion picture input unit which inputs motion picture data;

a motion picture storage unit which sequentially stores the motion picture data;

a specifying information receiving unit which receives specifying information for designating a specific scene of a motion picture;

a motion picture analyzing unit which analyzes the motion picture data stored in the motion picture storage unit to check whether a scene corresponding to the specifying information is present; and

an information notifying unit which notifies to a device of a user the fact that the scene corresponding to the specifying information is present when the scene corresponding to the specifying information is present.

9. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the motion picture data inputted by the motion picture input unit include one of a motion picture, coded data of the motion picture, and coded data of metadata containing the motion picture.

10. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the specifying information receiving unit acquires the specifying information from an external server previously designated by the user, when the present time reaches a time instant preset by the user.

12. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a motion picture output unit which outputs the motion picture data stored in the motion picture storage unit to a device designated by the user;

wherein the motion picture output unit outputs motion picture data of a scene designated by the specifying information when the specifying information is designated by the user.

11. A motion picture storage apparatus, comprising:

a motion picture input unit which inputs motion picture data including one of a motion picture, coded data of the motion picture, and coded data of metadata containing the motion picture;

a motion picture storage unit which sequentially stores the motion picture data;

a specifying information receiving unit which receives specifying information for designating a specific scene of a motion picture;

a motion picture analyzing unit which analyzes the motion picture data stored in the motion picture storage unit to check whether a scene corresponding to the specifying information is present; and

an information notifying unit which notifies the specifying information to a device of a user when the scene corresponding to the specifying information is present.

13. A motion picture storage apparatus, comprising:

a motion picture input unit which inputs motion picture data including one of a motion picture, coded data of the motion picture, and coded data of metadata containing the motion picture;

a motion picture storage unit which sequentially stores the motion picture data;

a specifying information receiving unit which receives specifying information for designating a specific scene of a motion picture;

a motion picture analyzing unit which analyzes the motion picture data stored in the motion picture storage unit to check whether a scene corresponding to the specifying information is present; and

a motion picture transmitting unit which transmits to a device of the user motion picture data of the scene corresponding to the specifying information when the scene corresponding to the specifying information is present.

14. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the specifying information receiving unit further receives modification information for modifying the specific scene;

and

the motion picture output unit modifies the motion picture in accordance with the modification information and outputs the modified motion picture.

15. A motion picture distributing system comprising:

a distributing server which distributes motion picture data;

an information server which distributes specifying information for designating a specific scene of the motion picture data; and

a storage server which receives the motion picture data distributed from the distributing server and the specifying information distributed the information server and which stores the motion picture data and the specifying information; and

a reproducing device which reproduces the motion picture data read from the storage server;

wherein the distributing server, the information server,

the storage server, and the reproducing device are connected with each other;

the storage server checks whether a scene designated by the received specifying information is stored; and

,

when the designated scene is stored, the storage server notifies to the reproducing device the fact received specifying information is stored.

16. The motion picture distributing system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein, when the storage server stores the scene designated by the received specifying information, the storage server notifies the specifying information to the reproducing device;

and

the reproducing device reads out the motion picture of the scene according to the specifying information.

17. The motion picture distributing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the storage server acquires the specifying information from the information server when a preset time has passed or at a predetermined time instant.

18. A motion picture storage apparatus for storing motion picture data to provide the motion picture data to a reproducing device of a user, comprising:

a storage unit which stores first coded data of a first coding system;

a request accepting unit which receives a motion picture data sending request and a motion picture list sending request from the user;

a viewing history producing unit which produces a viewing history from the motion picture data sending request;

a converting unit which converts the first coded data stored in the storage unit into second coded data of a second coding system in response to the motion picture data sending request;

an output unit which outputs the second coded data to the reproducing device; and

a viewing history output unit which outputs the viewing history to the reproducing device in response to the motion picture list sending request.

19. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the viewing history includes information indicative of a transition of a method for viewing a motion picture.

20. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the viewing history includes information as to at least one of a reproducing starting point, a stop point, a reproducing direction, and a reproducing speed of a motion picture.

21. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 18,

wherein the request accepting unit receives a motion picture modifying request;

the converting unit executes a modifying process operation including at least one of an enlargement, a compression, a cut-out, and a rotation with respect to a motion picture according to the motion picture modifying request; and

the viewing history producing unit produces a viewing history including the information indicative of the transition of a viewing method for the motion picture according to the motion picture modifying request and the motion picture data sending request.

22. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the viewing history output unit transmits the viewing history to an external apparatus other than the reproducing device in response to a request issued from the external apparatus.

23. A motion picture storage apparatus for storing motion picture data to provide the motion picture data to a reproducing device of a user, comprising:

a storage unit which stores first coded data of a first coding system;

a request accepting unit which receives a motion picture data sending request and a motion picture list sending request from the user;

a viewing history producing unit which produces a viewing history from the motion picture data sending request;

a converting unit which converts the first coded data stored in the storage unit into second coded data of a second coding system in response to the motion picture data sending request;

an output unit which outputs the second coded data to the reproducing device;

a specifying information producing unit which produces specifying information indicative of a specific portion of a motion picture from the viewing history; and

a specifying information output unit which outputs the specifying information to the reproducing device according to the motion picture list sending request.

24. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the viewing history includes information indicative of a transition of a method for viewing the motion picture.

25. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the specifying information includes specifying information indicative of a picture portion which was not yet viewed in the past and specifying information representative of a picture portion which was already viewed in the past.

26. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 24,

wherein the request accepting unit receives a motion picture modifying request;

the converting unit also executes a modifying process operation including at least one of an enlargement, a compression, a cut-out, and a rotation with respect to the motion picture according to the motion picture modifying request; and

the viewing history producing unit produces the viewing history according to the motion picture modifying request and the motion picture data sending request.

27. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein the specifying information includes information indicative of a picture portion which was viewed in the past, and information relating to a modification which was carried out in the past.

28. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the specifying information output unit produces a reproduction menu formed according to the specifying information and outputs the produced reproduction menu.

29. The motion picture storage apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the viewing history output unit transmits the viewing history to an external apparatus in response to a request issued from the external apparatus other than the reproducing device.

30. A motion picture providing method for providing motion picture data to a reproducing device according to a motion picture data sending request transmitted by a user, comprising:

generating a viewing history on the basis of the motion picture data sending request;

receiving a motion picture list sending request from the user;

outputting the viewing history in a form selectable by the user; and

providing the motion picture data to the reproducing device according to a selection by the user from the viewing history.

31. A motion picture providing method for providing motion picture data to a reproducing device according to a motion picture data sending request transmitted by a user, comprising:

generating a viewing history on the basis of the motion picture data sending request;

generating a specifying information for designating a specific motion picture;

receiving a motion picture list sending request from the user;

outputting the viewing history in a form selectable by the user; and

providing the motion picture data of the specific motion picture to the reproducing device according to a selection by the user from the viewing history.

32. A viewing history investigating system, comprising:

a distribution server which distributes motion picture data by the use of broadcasting or communication;

a storage server which receives the motion picture data distributed from the distribution server and stores the received motion picture data;

a reproducing device which acquires the motion picture data from the storage server so as to reproduce the acquired motion picture data; and

an information collecting device;

wherein the distribution server, the information collecting device, the storage server, and the reproducing device are connected with each other;

the storage server receives a request of the reproducing device, converts a coding system of the stored motion picture data, transmits the code-converted motion picture data, and produces a viewing history according to the request of the reproducing device to store the produced viewing history; and

the storage server transmits the viewing history to the information collecting device on receiving a transmission request of the viewing history from the information collecting device.

33. A motion picture outputting apparatus, comprising:

a request accepting unit which receives motion picture data sending requests and motion picture list sending requests sent from a plurality of users;

a viewing history producing unit, which produces a plurality of viewing histories of the plurality of users from the motion picture data sending requests;

a specifying information producing unit which produces specifying information indicative of a specific portion of a motion picture from the plurality of viewing histories;

an output unit which outputs motion picture data to a reproducing device; and

a specifying information output unit which outputs the specifying information to the reproducing device according to the motion picture list sending request.