Apparatus and method for replaying digital data

• US 20050069283A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Mitsuyu, Norihisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/329
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/027 Remotely controlled remote control systems in general G08C
• 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 2220/455 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 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 5/775 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 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A digital data replaying apparatus is connected with a display unit, and includes an assisting section which generates a time bar data relating to a contents data in response to a time bar display instruction; and a replaying section which outputs the contents data and the time bar data to the display unit. A time bar is displayed on the display unit based on the time bar data and include a main section showing a replay time of the contents data; a current set of a plurality of segments provided to divide the time bar main section into a preset number; and a pointer icon which is displayed in association with one of the plurality of segments. The assisting section moves the pointer icon in association with the plurality of segments in response to a pointer movement instruction. When one of the plurality of segment is selected as a selection segment, the replaying section outputs the contents data to the display unit from a portion of the contents data corresponding to the selection segment as a replay contents data portion.

Claims

1. A digital data replaying apparatus connected with a display unit, comprising:

an assisting section which generates a time bar data relating to a contents data in response to a time bar display instruction; and

a replaying section which outputs said contents data and said time bar data to said display unit,

wherein a time bar is displayed on said display unit based on said time bar data and comprises;

a main section showing a replay time of said contents data;

a current set of a plurality of segments provided to divide said time bar main section into a preset number; and

a pointer icon which is displayed in association with one of said plurality of segments,

said assisting section moves said pointer icon in association with said plurality of segments in response to a pointer movement instruction, and

when one of said plurality of segment is selected as a selection segment, said replaying section outputs said contents data to said display unit from a portion of said contents data corresponding to said selection segment as a replay contents data portion.

2. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said assisting section generates a new time bar data in response to a segmentation change instruction such that a number of said segments is changed, and

said time bar is displayed on said display unit based on said new time bar data.

3. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said assisting section generates said time bar data in response to said time bar display instruction such that said time bar further contains another set of a plurality of segments, and

a number of said segments of said set is different from a number of segments of said another set.

4. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said assisting section generates said time bar data in response to said time bar display instruction such that a small screen is displayed on said display unit to display said replay contents data portion.

5. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said assisting section generates said time bar data such that said small screen is moved together with said pointer icon in response to said pointer movement instruction.

6. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said digital video contents data is an MPEG video data stored in a storage media,

said MPEG video data has a time data corresponding to each of a plurality of frames,

said digital data replaying apparatus further comprises a time table, which relates a system clock reference data contained in said MPEG video data as said time data and a storage position of said MPEG video data on said storage media, and

said assisting section refers to said time table based on said system clock reference data related to said selection segment to determine said storage position as a start position of said replay contents data portion.

7. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said digital video contents data is an MPEG video data stored in a storage media,

said MPEG video data has a time data corresponding to each of a plurality of frames,

said digital data replaying apparatus further comprises a time table, which relates a system clock reference data contained in said MPEG video data, a small screen display portion of said MPEG video data corresponding to said system clock reference data and a storage position of said MPEG video data on said storage media, and

said assisting section refers to said time table based on said system clock reference data related to said selection segment to determine said small screen display portion.

8. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said time bar display instruction and said pointer movement instruction are outputted from a remote control unit.

9. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said contents data contains a document data.

10. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said contents data contains a document data,

said digital data replaying apparatus further comprises a content table, which relates a content display data showing items of contents of said document data and related with each of said plurality of segments and a content area data showing a range of said document data corresponding to said content display data,

said assisting section refers to said content table based on said selection segment in response to said pointer movement instruction to determine said content area data, and

said replaying section outputs said document data corresponding to said determined content area data and said time bar data to said display unit.

11. The digital data replaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said contents data contains a plurality of said continuous still video data.

12. A digital data replaying method in a digital data replaying apparatus connected with a display unit, comprising:

generating a time bar data relating to a contents data in response to a time bar display instruction; and

displaying said time bar data and said contents data on said display unit from a start of said contents data,

wherein a time bar is displayed on said display unit based on said time bar data and comprises;

a main section showing a replay time of said contents data;

a current set of a plurality of segments provided to divide said time bar main section into a preset number; and

a pointer icon which is displayed in association with one of said plurality of segments,

moving said pointer icon in association with said plurality of segments in response to a pointer movement instruction, and

said displaying comprises;

when one of said plurality of segment is selected as a selection segment, displaying said contents data on said display unit from a portion of said contents data corresponding to said selection segment as a replay contents data portion.

13. The digital data replaying method according to claim 12, further comprising:

generating a new time bar data in response to a segmentation change instruction such that a number of said segments is changed, and

displaying said new time bar data on said display unit.

14. The digital data replaying method according to claim 12, wherein said generating a time bar data comprises:

generating said time bar data in response to said time bar display instruction such that said time bar further contains another set of a plurality of segments, wherein a number of said segments of said set is different from a number of segments of said another set.

15. The digital data replaying method according to claim 12, wherein said generating a time bar data comprises:

generating said time bar data in response to said time bar display instruction such that a small screen is displayed on said display unit to display said replay contents data portion.

16. The digital data replaying method according to claim 15, further comprising:

generating said time bar data such that said small screen is moved when said pointer icon is moved in response to said pointer movement instruction.

17. The digital data replaying method according to claim 12, wherein said digital video contents data is an MPEG video data stored in a storage media, and said MPEG video data has a time data corresponding to each of a plurality of frames,

said displaying comprises:

referring to a time table based on a system clock reference data related to said selection segment to determine a storage position as a start position of said replay contents data portion,

said time table relates said system clock reference data contained in said MPEG video data as said time data and said storage position of said MPEG video data on said storage media.

18. The digital data replaying method according to claim 15, wherein said digital video contents data is an MPEG video data stored in a storage media, and said MPEG video data has a time data corresponding to each of a plurality of frames,

said displaying comprises:

referring to a time table based on a system clock reference data related to said selection segment to determine a small screen display portion, said time table relates said system clock reference data contained in said MPEG video data, said small screen display portion of said MPEG video data corresponding to said system clock reference data and said storage position of said MPEG video data on said storage media.

19. The digital data replaying method according to claim 12, wherein said time bar display instruction and said pointer movement instruction are outputted from a remote control unit.

20. The digital data replaying method according to claim 12, wherein said contents data contains a document data.

21. The digital data replaying method according to claim 12, wherein said contents data contains a document data,

said displaying comprises:

referring to a content table based on said selection segment in response to said pointer movement instruction to determine a content area data,

said content table relates said content display data showing items of contents of said document data and related with each of said plurality of segments and said content area data showing a range of said document data corresponding to said content display data.

22. The digital data replaying method according to claim 12, wherein said contents data contains a plurality of said continuous still video data.

23. A computer-readable software product for achieving a digital data replaying method in a digital data replaying apparatus connected with a display unit, said digital data replaying method comprises:

generating a time bar data relating to a contents data in response to a time bar display instruction; and

displaying said time bar data and said contents data on said display unit from a start of said contents data,

wherein a time bar is displayed on said display unit based on said time bar data and comprises;

a main section showing a replay time of said contents data;

a current set of a plurality of segments provided to divide said time bar main section into a preset number; and

a pointer icon which is displayed in association with one of said plurality of segments,

moving said pointer icon in association with said plurality of segments in response to a pointer movement instruction, and

said displaying comprises;

when one of said plurality of segment is selected as a selection segment, displaying said contents data on said display unit from a portion of said contents data corresponding to said selection segment as a replay contents data portion.

24. The computer-readable software product according to claim 23, wherein said digital data replaying method further comprises:

generating a new time bar data in response to a segmentation change instruction such that a number of said segments is changed, and

displaying said new time bar data on said display unit.

25. The computer-readable software product according to claim 23, wherein said generating a time bar data comprises:

generating said time bar data in response to said time bar display instruction such that a small screen is displayed on said display unit to display said replay contents data portion.

26. The computer-readable software product according to claim 23, wherein said digital video contents data is an MPEG video data stored in a storage media, and said MPEG video data has a time data corresponding to each of a plurality of frames,

said displaying comprises:

referring to a time table based on a system clock reference data related to said selection segment to determine a storage position as a start position of said replay contents data portion,

said time table relates said system clock reference data contained in said MPEG video data as said time data and said storage position of said MPEG video data on said storage media.

27. The computer-readable software product according to claim 23 wherein said contents data contains a document data,

said displaying comprises:

referring to a content table based on said selection segment in response to said pointer movement instruction to determine a content area data,

said content table relates said content display data showing items of contents of said document data and related with each of said plurality of segments and said content area data showing a range of said document data corresponding to said content display data.

28. The computer-readable software product according to claim 23, wherein said contents data contains a plurality of said continuous still video data.