System for audio/video presentation

• US 4,905,094 A
• Filed: 06/30/1988
• Issued: 02/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Telaction Corporation
• Inventors: McCalley, Karl W., McNorgan, Richard M., Allen, Gary B., Coumans, Peter J. M., Bertram, John R., Pocock, Terrence H.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/213,357
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 358/310, 358/335, 358/341, 358/342, 358/343, 358/906, 358/909, 358/86, 360/10.1, 360/19.1, 360/72.1, 360/72.2, 360/35.1, 360/9.1, 360/33.1, 360/39, 364/401, 364/518, 235/375, 235/383
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/026 on discs G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3054 Vertical Interval Time code [VITC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for assembling a network of presentations comprising still video images with associated audio messages. The video images and audio messages are first recorded on separate recording mediums and then combines as a video/audio presentation network recorded on a video disc. The video disc can then be incorporated as part of the data base of an interactive communication system which transmits the presentations to subscriber'"'"'s of the system.

Claims

1. A system for providing a retrievable network of video presentations, each such video presentation including one or more video images which may be associated with an audio segment, said network of video presentations being stored on a retrievable storage medium and incorporating a plurality of permissible pathways between said video presentations, said system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of video images on a first recording medium,

means for storing a plurality of audio segments on a second recording medium,

means for defining in a preselected format said permissible pathways in said network between said video presentations, and the association between each said audio segment, if present, and one or more of said video images, and

means for storing on a third recording medium said plurality of video images with said associated audio segments according to said defining means, said video images and said associated audio segments being stored on said third recording medium as video frames with each said video frame being electronically identified for retrieval.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

means for recording on the tracks and associated frames of a video disc said video images and audio segments stored on said third recording medium, wherein each frame includes frame identification information recorded in the vertical blanking interval thereof.

3. The system according to claim 2 further comprising:

means for detecting and reading said frame identification information recorded in the vertical interval of each frame on a track of said video disc.

4. The system according to claim 3 further comprising:

means for comparing said detected frame identification information to a previously recorded file of frame identification information, and correcting said file where said detected frame identification information does not agree with said previously recorded frame identification information.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein said correction of said file being due to manufacturing errors in said video disc.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said first recording medium is a magnetic disc.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein said second recording medium is a magnetic tape.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein said third recording medium is a video tape.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein each video presentation includes one or more video segments, each video segment includes one to five video images which may be associated with an audio segment, said audio segment being approximately 40 seconds or less in length.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein said means for defining the permissible pathways in said network is in a data file stored in a computer controlling a recording means associated with each of said first, second and third recording medium.

11. The system according to claim 1 further comprising means for transferring said plurality of video images and associated audio segments from said third recording medium to a video disc.

12. Apparatus for recording segments of audio and video information onto respective frames of a magnetic tape comprising:

an audio tape having SMPTE time codes identifying the ends of audio information that is to be used in a given segment,

an encoder for translating audio signals into a video frame format,

a plurality of chromes,

means for scanning a chrome so as to produce a frame of analog video signals,

means for translating the analog video signals into corresponding digital video signals,

means for altering said digital video signals so as to form a frame having a desired image,

means for combining the audio and video frames into a series for a given segment,

means for converting digital video frames into corresponding analog video frames, and

means for recording said series of analog frames onto a magnetic tape.

13. Method for creating still-video and audio presentations stored on a video disc, comprising the steps of:

(a) designing a plurality of still-video frames;

(b) storing in the form of digital information the video frames on a first storage medium;

(c) identifying each of the video frames on said first storage medium with a unique address;

(d) composing an audio message to be associated with said still-video frames;

(e) electronically storing the audio message in the form of audio frames on a second storage medium;

(f) identifying each audio frame on the second storage medium with a unique address;

(g) combining the still-video frames on said first storage medium with the audio frames on said second storage medium to form a still-video/audio presentation on a video disc.