VIDEO RECORDING APPARATUS

• US 20080260346A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Horii, Youichi, SUKEDA, Hiroko
• Application Number:
  US11/873,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20080260346A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A video recording apparatus includes a receiver for receiving video information from an external device, a recorder for recording video information received by the receiver, and a controller for separating a thumbnail image from the video information. The video information includes first additional information including frame time information and priority information of the video information. The controller separates the thumbnail image from the video information on the basis of the first additional information.

Claims

1. A video recording apparatus, comprising:

a receiver for receiving video information from an external device;

a recorder for recording video information received by the receiver; and

a controller for separating a thumbnail image from the video information, wherein;

the video information includes first additional information including frame time information and priority information of the video information; and

the controller separates the thumbnail image from the video information on the basis of the first additional information.

2. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller separates a thumbnail image corresponding to a point of time when the priority is highest within a period of time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder.

3. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising input means for selecting and separating an arbitrary thumbnail image from a plurality of thumbnail images which respectively include the priority information and which are respectively obtained at a plurality of points of time within a period of time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder.

4. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising input means for inputting user information indicating a type of video information to which high priority is to be assigned, wherein

the controller conducts a recalculation of the priority on the basis of the user information and the first additional information and separates a thumbnail image corresponding to a point of time when the priority after the recalculation is highest.

5. A video recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller selects, if a plurality of points of time at which the priority is highest exist within a period of time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder, a point of time at which the priority is high on the basis of the user information to thereby separate a thumbnail image.

6. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller makes a check to determine similarity between images at a plurality of points of time at which the first additional information is added to the video information within a period of time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder, assigns a higher weight to the priority corresponding to a point of time associated with higher similarity, and assigns a lower weight to the priority corresponding to a point of time associated with lower similarity.

7. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiver obtains second additional information regarding the video information via an internet;

the second additional information includes frame time information of the video information, information regarding posting points of time of postings from external communities, and information regarding the number of postings from external communities; and

the controller conducts a recalculation of the priority on the basis of the first additional information and the second additional information to thereby separate the thumbnail image from the video information.

8. A video recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein it is possible to determine, according to determination of the priority, the weights to be assigned respectively to the first additional information and the second additional information.

9. A video recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein it is possible to determine, according to determination of the priority, the weights to be assigned respectively to the first additional information and the second additional information.

10. A video recording apparatus, comprising:

a receiver for receiving video information from an external device;

a recorder for recording video information received by the receiver; and

a controller for separating a thumbnail image from the video information, wherein;

the receiver obtains additional information regarding the video information via an internet;

the additional information includes frame time information of the video information, information regarding posting points of time of postings from external communities, and information regarding the number of postings from external communities; and

the controller calculates priority on the basis of the additional information to thereby separate the thumbnail image from the video information.

11. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller separates a thumbnail image corresponding to a point of time when the priority is highest within a period of time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder.

12. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein for the calculation of the priority, the controllerseparates the thumbnail image by preferentially processing a frame time of which the posting time is nearer to the frame time,separates the thumbnail image by preferentially processing a frame time associated with a large number of postings, orseparates the thumbnail image, by combining the operations of 1) and 2) with each other.

13. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, comprising input means for selecting and separating an arbitrary thumbnail image from a plurality of thumbnail images which respectively include information regarding the priority and which are respectively obtained at a plurality of points of time within a period of time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder.

14. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising input means for inputting user information indicating a type of video information to which high priority is to be assigned, wherein the controller conducts a recalculation of the priority on the basis of the user information and the additional information and separates a thumbnail image corresponding to a point of time when the priority after the recalculation is highest.

15. A video recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller selects, if a plurality of points of time at which the priority is highest exist within a period of time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder, a point of time at which the priority is high on the basis of the user information to thereby separate a thumbnail image.

16. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller makes a check to determine similarity between images at a plurality of points of time at which the additional information is added to the video information within a period of time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder, assigns a higher weight to the priority corresponding to a point of time associated with higher similarity, and assigns a lower weight to the priority corresponding to a point of time associated with lower similarity.

17. A video recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein it is possible to determine, according to determination of the priority, the weights to be assigned respectively to the additional information and the user information.