Digital video processing and storage system for video, audio and ancillary data

• US 20060263056A1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Schultz, Mark Alan, Lin, Shu, Willis, Donald Henry
• Granted Patent: US 9,214,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/227
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/309 Table of contents
• 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: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

A video processing system adaptively generates and processes volume/file structure and navigation data of different data format and converts data between different formats for decoding, recording and other applications. The system processes the volume/file structure and navigation data in distinct modes including (a) pre-processing, (b) contemporaneous and (c) post-processing modes. In addition, the system provides navigation information supporting navigation through different images of one or more video programs by parsing encoded packetized data representative of a sequence of individual images to determine parameters to support navigation through the sequence of individual images. The determined parameters are formatted into a predetermined data structure and incorporated into a pre-formed navigation data field.

Claims

1. A method for providing navigation information supporting navigation through different images of one or more video programs, comprising the steps of:

parsing encoded packetized data representative of a sequence of individual images to determine parameters to support navigation through said sequence of individual images;

formatting said determined parameters into a predetermined data structure;

incorporating said determined parameters in said predetermined data structure into a pre-formed navigation data field; and

providing said encoded packetized data and said pre-formed navigation data field as an output in said second data format, wherein,

said data format conversion converts at least one of, (a) volume structure, (b) file structure, and (c) navigation data, compliant with said first data format into at least one of, (a) a different volume structure, (b) a different file structure, and (c) different navigation data comprising said navigation data field, compliant with said second data format.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said derived parameters comprise at least one of, (a) data identifying a group of pictures (GOP) format, (b) a number of GOPs in a video object unit (VOBU), (c) data identifying reference frames in a VOBU or GOP, (d) a start address of image representative data, (e) an end address of image representative data, (f) a parameter identifying size of image representative data, (g) trick play mode selection information and (h) file structure information.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said derived parameters in said navigation data field support navigation through images in at least one of, (a) a frame, (b) a group of pictures (GOP), (c) a video object unit (VOBU), (d) a program, (e) different programs and (f) video data of different MPEG compatible elementary streams.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein

said different programs comprise a video program and an associated program comprising one of, (i) audio data, (ii) Internet web page data, (iii) text data, and (iv) program guide data.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein

said different programs comprise two different video programs.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said incorporating step comprises

incorporating said determined parameters in a previously blank area of said pre-formed navigation data field.

7. A method according to claim 1, including the step of incorporating an indicator in a datastream including said encoded packetized data and said navigation data field to indicate said determined parameters are incorporated in said navigation data field.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said pre-formed navigation data field comprises a header and a payload and said determined parameters are incorporated in said navigation data field payload.

9. A method according to claim 1, including the step of forming said pre-formed navigation data field to accommodate subsequent insertion of said determined parameters.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said encoded packetized data is stored and said parsing occurs in response to initiation of a data format conversion operation.