Audio-visual monitoring system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A memory array for storing and playing back digital values derived from an analog data stream from a source of real time successive video picture image fields, said memory comprising:
- input means for receiving said digital values,line store means connected to said input means for storing said digital values which correspond to each incoming line of video,read/write ring memory array means for storing a plurality of successive video fields comprised of sampled ones of said digital values from said line store means in accordance with a sampling rate which determines the minimum number of successive picture fields to be stored in said memory array means, there being at least one field of each picture frame being stored,read control means connected to said read/write ring memory array means for cyclically reading said memory array means during each video line time interval to generate a digital data stream in real time corresponding to said plurality of successive video fields,write control means connected to said line store means and to said read/write ring memory array means for periodically writing digital values sampled from a current incoming video line in place of digital values sampled from the oldest stored video line,output means connected so said read/write ring memory array means and to said read control means for putting out said digital data stream.
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Abstract
An analog data stream is monitored as a series of blocks. A ring memory array digitally stores the blocks and repetitively loads and unloads the blocks. A freeze switch disables loading of the latest blocks. A block identifier puts out a unique block identification value for each block put out by the memory and is responsive to the freeze switch, so that when loading stops, each block put out bears the same identification value. The invention is particularly well suited to handling of television frames.
111 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A memory array for storing and playing back digital values derived from an analog data stream from a source of real time successive video picture image fields, said memory comprising:
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input means for receiving said digital values, line store means connected to said input means for storing said digital values which correspond to each incoming line of video, read/write ring memory array means for storing a plurality of successive video fields comprised of sampled ones of said digital values from said line store means in accordance with a sampling rate which determines the minimum number of successive picture fields to be stored in said memory array means, there being at least one field of each picture frame being stored, read control means connected to said read/write ring memory array means for cyclically reading said memory array means during each video line time interval to generate a digital data stream in real time corresponding to said plurality of successive video fields, write control means connected to said line store means and to said read/write ring memory array means for periodically writing digital values sampled from a current incoming video line in place of digital values sampled from the oldest stored video line, output means connected so said read/write ring memory array means and to said read control means for putting out said digital data stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A monitoring system for monitoring a data stream of analog information provided from a source wherein said information is divided into a series of blocks, each block being identifiable as such, said monitoring system comprising:
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analog to digital converter means connected to said source for converting said analog information into a digital stream of corresponding digital values, ring memory array means connected to said analog to digital converter means for storing said corresponding digital values and including address generation means for generating addresses which progress throughout the entirety of storage locations of said memory in repetitive fashion and read/write control means for replacing the oldest stored corresponding digital values with the latest corresponding digital values, and including freeze switch means for disabling writing of latest corresponding digital values into said array means, digital to analog converter means connected to said memory array means for converting said stored digital values to analog values and for putting them out, block indentifier means for providing and putting out a unique block indentification value for each said block put out by said digital to analog converter means, said block identifier means being responsive to said freeze switch means so that during cessation of writing, each block put out bears the same identification value. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for locating scene changes in successive fields of video program material, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing a contiguous, continuously advancing segment of successive fields of video in a first recirculating stoppable memory means, simultaneously storing a contiguous, continuously advancing series of field identification values in a second recirculating stoppable memory, there being a unique one of said values being associated with each field being simultaneously stored in said first memory, displaying simultaneously a plurality of said successive fields stored in said first memory on a display screen in which successive fields circulate throughout the display in accordance with a predetermined two dimensional pattern of progression wherein visible scene changes appear to ripple bidimensionally throughout the frames being displayed, simultaneously stopping said first and second memories upon detection of a scene change of interest and putting out a said value corresponding to a displayed field marking the scene change of interest. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification