Multimedia time warping system

• US 20070230921A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James, Moskowitz, Alan, McInnis, Roderick, Chow, Ching, Kao, Jean, Goodman, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/725,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1062 Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8715 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal

Abstract

A multimedia time warping system allows a user to store selected multimedia data streams while the user is simultaneously watching or reviewing other multimedia data. Data streams are converted to digital streams for internal transfer and manipulation. A parser and event buffer decouple the CPU from having to parse the digital stream. Video segments are stored on a storage device and when data is requested for display, its video segments are extracted from the storage device and sent to a decoder that converts them into display output signals and delivers the display output signals to a display.

Claims

1. A method for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia information, comprising:

receiving multimedia information, the multimedia information containing a plurality of video segments;

generating identifying information associated with at least one video segment;

mediating video segments among a storage device, a memory, and a CPU;

storing video segments on the storage device;

retrieving at least one particular video segment from the storage device using identifying information associated with the at least one particular video segment; and

wherein the storing step and retrieving step are performed simultaneously.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting a control command; and

wherein the retrieving step retrieves the at least one video segment in response to the control command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia information is selected from a group consisting of:

a digital television signal, an analog television signal, and a compressed digital video signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mediating step operates autonomously from the CPU.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mediating step frees the CPU from processing video segments.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step operates autonomously from CPU operations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mediating step selects a storage device among a plurality of storage devices for use in the storing step.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a hard drive.

9. A method for implementing a digital video recorder, comprising:

generating identifying information associated with a plurality of video segments within a video signal received by the digital video recorder;

mediating video segments among a storage device, a memory, and a CPU;

referencing particular video segments for display on a display device using identifying information associated with the particular video segments; and

wherein the generating step and referencing step are performed simultaneously.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing video segments on a storage device; and

wherein the referencing step retrieves the particular video segments from the storage device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the storage device is a hard drive.

12. A method for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia data, comprising:

receiving multimedia data in a buffer obtained from a set of buffers;

processing the received multimedia data;

storing processed multimedia data on a storage device;

receiving a request for stored multimedia data;

allocating an available buffer from the set of buffers;

retrieving multimedia data from the storage device; and

writing the retrieved multimedia data to the allocated buffer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

accepting a control command that affects a rate of requests for stored multimedia data.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

accepting a control command that affects the retrieving step'"'"'s retrieval of stored multimedia data.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of buffers is comprised of a fixed number of buffers.

16. A recording apparatus, comprising:

circuitry for receiving multimedia information, the multimedia information containing a plurality of video segments;

a storage device; and

a mediator that mediates among the storage device, a memory, and a CPU, the mediator;

generates identifying information associated with a video segment; and

simultaneously delivers video segments to the storage device and retrieves particular video segments from the storage device using identifying information associated with the particular video segments.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

circuitry for accepting a control command; and

wherein the mediator retrieves the at least one video segment in response to the control command.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the multimedia information is selected from a group consisting of:

a digital television signal, an analog television signal, and a compressed digital video signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mediator operates autonomously from the CPU.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mediator frees the CPU from processing video segments.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mediator selects a storage device among a plurality of storage devices that the mediator delivers video segments to.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the storage device is a hard drive.

23. An apparatus for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia information, comprising:

a module for receiving multimedia information, the multimedia information containing a plurality of video segments;

a module for generating identifying information associated with at least one video segment;

a module for mediating video segments among a storage device, a memory, and a CPU;

a module for storing video segments on the storage-device;

a module for retrieving at least one particular video segment from the storage device using identifying information associated with the at least one particular video segment; and

wherein the storing module and retrieving module operate simultaneously.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

a module for accepting a control command; and

wherein the retrieving module retrieves the at least one video segment in response to the control command.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the multimedia information is selected from a group consisting of:

a digital television signal, an analog television signal, and a compressed digital video signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mediating module operates autonomously from the CPU.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mediating module frees the CPU from processing video segments.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the generating module operates autonomously from CPU operations.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mediating module selects a storage device among a plurality of storage devices for use by the storing module.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the storage device is a hard drive.

31. An apparatus for implementing a digital video recorder, comprising:

a module for generating identifying information associated with a plurality of video segments within a video signal received by the digital video recorder;

a module for mediating video segments among a storage device, a memory, and a CPU;

a module for referencing particular video segments for display on a display device using identifying information associated with the particular video segments; and

wherein the generating module and referencing module operate simultaneously.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

a storage device;

a module for storing video segments on the storage device; and

wherein the referencing module retrieves the particular video segments from the storage device.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the storage device is a hard drive.

34. An apparatus for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia data, comprising:

a module for receiving multimedia data in a buffer obtained from a set of buffers;

a module for processing the received multimedia data;

a module for storing processed multimedia data on a storage device;

a module for receiving a request for stored multimedia data;

a module for allocating an available buffer from the set of buffers;

a module for retrieving multimedia data from the storage device; and

a module for writing the retrieved multimedia data to the allocated buffer.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising:

a module for accepting a control command that affects a rate of requests for stored multimedia data.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising:

a module for accepting a control command that affects the retrieving module'"'"'s retrieval of stored multimedia data.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the set of buffers is comprised of a fixed number of buffers.

38. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia information, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving multimedia information, the multimedia information containing a plurality of video segments;

generating identifying information associated with at least one video segment;

mediating video segments among a storage device, a memory, and a CPU;

storing video segments on the storage device;

retrieving at least one particular video segment from the storage device using identifying information associated with the at least one particular video segment; and

wherein the storing step and retrieving step are performed simultaneously.

39. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 38, further comprising:

accepting a control command; and

wherein the retrieving step retrieves the at least one video segment in response to the control command.

40. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein the multimedia information is selected from a group consisting of:

a digital television signal, an analog television signal, and a compressed digital video signal.

41. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein the mediating step operates autonomously from the CPU.

42. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein the mediating step frees the CPU from processing video segments.

43. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein the generating step operates autonomously from CPU operations.

44. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein the mediating step selects a storage device among a plurality of storage devices for use in the storing step.

45. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein the storage device is a hard drive.

46. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for implementing a digital video recorder, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

generating identifying information associated with a plurality of video segments within a video signal received by the digital video recorder;

mediating video segments among a storage device, a memory, and a CPU;

referencing particular video segments for display on a display device using identifying information associated with the particular video segments; and

wherein the generating step and referencing step are performed simultaneously.

47. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 46, further comprising:

storing video segments on a storage device; and

wherein the referencing step retrieves the particular video segments from the storage device.

48. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 47, wherein the storage device is a hard drive.

49. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia data, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving multimedia data in a buffer obtained from a set of buffers;

processing the received multimedia data;

storing processed multimedia data on a storage device;

receiving a request for stored multimedia data;

allocating an available buffer from the set of buffers;

retrieving multimedia data from the storage device; and

writing the retrieved multimedia data to the allocated buffer.

50. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 49, further comprising:

accepting a control command that affects a rate of requests for stored multimedia data.

51. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 49, further comprising:

accepting a control command that affects the retrieving step'"'"'s retrieval of stored multimedia data.

52. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 49, wherein the set of buffers is comprised of a fixed number of buffers.