MOVING IMAGE PLAYBACK APPARATUS, MOVING IMAGE PLAYBACK METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM THEREOF

• US 20070230899A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shiiyama, Hirotaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/343
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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: 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 21/440281 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 21/4532 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 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

In a moving image playback apparatus, periods A which represent human utterance periods, and other periods B are determined on the basis of sub-information contained in moving image data. Based on the moving image data, periods A undergo high-speed moving image playback with playback voice within the speed range from a normal speed to a predetermined speed (e.g., 1.5 to 2 times of the normal speed) at which the user can recognize playback contents, while periods B undergo high-speed moving image playback with at least playback voice in a small tone volume or silent high-speed moving image playback at a speed (e.g., 5 to 10 times of the normal speed) higher than the predetermined speed. During the playback, the moving image playback speeds can be adjusted in accordance with user attribute information registered in a user profile (14).

Claims

1. A moving image playback apparatus which enable to play back moving image information at a high speed, comprising:

voice period determination means for determining a first voice period which represents a human utterance period, and a second voice period other than the first voice period, on the basis of an audio signal contained in the moving image information; and

quick preview playback means for making high-speed moving image playback with playback voice of the first voice period at a predetermined speed at which a user can recognize playback contents, while making at least high-speed moving image playback of the second voice period at a speed higher than the predetermined speed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said quick preview playback means makes moving image playback with at least playback voice in a tone volume of the second voice period that is smaller than the volume of the first voice period at the speed higher than the predetermined speed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said quick preview playback means makes silent moving image playback of the second voice period at the speed higher than the predetermined speed.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein upon reception of an instruction of execution of high-speed moving image playback by said quick preview playback means, said voice period determination means determines the first and second voice periods on the basis of the moving image information prior to output of a playback video, so as to execute determination of voice periods by said voice period determination means and high-speed moving image playback by said quick preview playback means in pseudo real time.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tone volume upon playing back voice in the second voice period in said quick preview playback means is determined in advance or can be designated by the user.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said voice period determination means comprises correction means for making correction by integrating a plurality of neighboring first voice periods on a time axis upon determining the first voice period on the basis of the audio signal.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said quick preview playback means calculates a time required for the high-speed moving image playback on the basis of a duration and playback speed of the first voice period, and a duration of the second voice period, and presents the calculated required time to the user.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said quick preview playback means comprises adjustment means for, when the user changes playback speeds of the first and second voice periods after the required time is presented, adjusting the required time on the basis of the changed playback speeds.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined speed upon making the high-speed moving image playback of the first voice period is 1.5 to 2 times of a normal playback speed.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said voice period determination means extracts a voice pitch corresponding to a vocal-fold vibration on the basis of the audio signal, and determines the first voice period on the basis of the extracted voice pitch.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tone volume upon playing back voice in the second voice period in said quick preview playback means is determined in advance or can be designated by the user.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said voice period determination means determines the first voice period by detecting dominant vowel parts of a human voice by extracting a pitch within a possible vocal-fold frequency range from a signal obtained by filtering a band of voice which is contained in the audio signal and is uttered by a person, and integrating the detected vowel parts.

4. (canceled)

8-9. -9. (canceled)

12-16. -16. (canceled)

18-21. -21. (canceled)

25. A moving image playback method which enable to play back moving image information at a high speed, comprising:

a voice period determination step of determining a first voice period which represents a human utterance period, and a second voice period other than the first voice period, on the basis of an audio signal contained in the moving image information; and

a quick preview playback step of making high-speed moving image playback with playback voice of the first voice period at a predetermined speed at which a user can recognize playback contents, while making at least high-speed moving image playback of the second voice period at a speed higher than the predetermined speed.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein, in said quick preview playback step, moving image playback with at least playback voice in a tone volume that is smaller than the volume of the first voice period is performed at the speed higher than the predetermined speed in the second voice period.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein, in said quick preview playback step, moving image playback with no voice is performed at the speed higher than the predetermined speed in the second voice period.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein upon execution of high-speed moving image playback in said quick preview playback step, determination of the first and second voice periods on the basis of the moving image information in said voice period determination step is executed prior to output of a playback video, so as to execute determination of voice periods in said voice period determination step and high-speed moving image playback in said quick preview playback step in pseudo real time.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein, in said voice period determination step, a plurality of neighboring first voice periods on a time axis are corrected by integrating on the basis of the audio signal upon determining the first voice period.

32. The method according to claim 25, wherein said voice period determination step includes steps of:

extracting a voice pitch corresponding to a vocal-fold vibration on the basis of the audio signal, and

determining the first voice period on the basis of the extracted voice pitch.

33. The method according to claim 25, wherein said voice period determination step includes steps of:

determining the first voice period by detecting dominant vowel parts of a human voice by extracting a pitch within a possible vocal-fold frequency range from a signal obtained by filtering a band of voice which is contained in the audio signal and is uttered by a person, and

integrating the detected vowel parts.

28. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program which issues an operation instruction that makes a computer implement a moving image playback apparatus that enable to play back moving image information at a high speed, comprising:

a program code for a voice period determination function of determining a first voice period which represents a human utterance period, and a second voice period other than the first voice period, on the basis of an audio signal contained in the moving image information; and

a program code for a quick preview playback function of making high-speed moving image playback with playback voice of the first voice period at a predetermined speed at which a user can recognize playback contents, while making at least high-speed moving image playback of the second voice period at a speed higher than the predetermined speed.

36. (canceled)