Video composition method and apparatus for providing simultaneous inputting and sorting of video source material

• US 4,685,003 A
• Filed: 12/02/1983
• Issued: 08/04/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lex Computer and Management Corp., Mid-America Commercialization Corporation, Video Composition Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lex Computer and Management Corp.
• Inventors: Westland, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faber, Alan
• Application Number:
  US06/556,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 360/14.1, 360/14.2, 360/14.3, 360/33.1, 360/31, 360/32, 358/311, 358/335
• US Class Current: 386/286
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: G11B 27/323 Time code signal, e.g. on a cue track as SMPTE- or EBU-time code
• 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 composition method and apparatus select segments from image source material stored on a plurality of storage media and denote serially connected sequences of the segments to thereby form a program sequence. The equipment inputs source material, records the source material on the storage media, and further segments the source material as it is being input. An analog-to-digital converter digitizes frames of the source material, as the source material is being input, and each segment has associated therewith at least one digitized frame. The apparatus further has a plurality of pictorial display monitors arranged in an ordered array for providing a visual presentation of video labels selected from the digitized frames, the video labels, in sequence, representing a sequence of the video segments. An operator control circuitry is operative with the stored digitized frames and, in combination with the composing control circuitry, selectively supplies each pictorial display monitor, while the source material is being input, with electrical data signals representing a selected one of the sequence of labels. Thereby, the operator can sort the label sequence being displayed on by the monitors while source material is being received.

Claims

1. Apparatus for composing image source material stored on at least one image storage, said source material being composed of a sequence of stored frames representing a time sequential visual image, sequences of said frames being associated to form a video segment, said composing apparatus comprising

means for inputting said source material and for recording said source material in said storage medium,

means for segmenting said source material as it is being input,

means for digitizing frames of said source material, as said source material is being input, each segment having associated therewith at least one digitized frame,

a plurality of pictoral display means arranged in an ordered array, each display means providing a visual presentation of a video label selected from a sequence of said digitized frames, said video labels, in sequence, representing a sequence of said video segments,

means for storing said digitized frames,

an operator control means, and

a composing control means operative with said frame storage medium and said operator control means, said composing control means comprising

means for selectively supplying each said pictorial display means, while said source material is being input, with electrical data signals representing a selected one of said sequence of labels, and

means responsive to said operator control means for sorting the label sequence displayed by said plural pictorial display means while said source material is being input.

2. The composing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sorting means comprises

means for changing the order of the displayed label sequence while said source material is being input, and

said inputting means comprises

means for automatically forming video segments from said source material, each formed segment having a predetermined time duration.

3. The composing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said storage medium comprises a plurality of video tape recorders, and

said inputting and recording means records said source material on all of the tape recorders.

4. A method for composing image source material stored on at least one storage medium, the source material being composed of a sequence of stored frames representing a time sequential visual image, sequences of the frames being associated to form a video segment, the composing method comprising the steps of

inputting and recording said source material on said storage medium,

segmenting said source material as it is being input,

digitizing frames of said source material as it is being input, each segment having associated therewith at least one digitized frame,

storing said digitized frames,

selectively supplying to each of a plurality of pictorial display screens, while said source material is being input, electrical data signals representing a selective one of a sequence of said digitized frames, said sequence representing a sequence of said video segments, and

sorting the frame sequence displayed by the pictorial display screens while said source material is being input.

5. The composing method of claim 4 wherein said sorting step comprises the steps of

changing the order of the displayed frame sequence while said source material is being input, and

automatically forming said video segments from said source material, each formed segment having a predetermined time duration.

6. The composing method of claim 4 further comprising the step of

recording said source material on all of a plurality of video tape recorders.