Apparatus for editing video tapes

• US 5,029,013 A
• Filed: 11/23/1988
• Issued: 07/02/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakashima, Hitoshi, Fukushima, Shinya, Nakagawa, Kiyoshi, Hiratsuka, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy
• Application Number:
  US07/275,377
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/311, 358/183, 358/22, 360/14.1, 360/33.1, 360/32, 360/15
• US Class Current: 386/230
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/937 by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate store

Abstract

Dual video recording/reproducing apparatus includes a video playback unit, a video recording unit having recording circuitry for recording a video output signal from the video playback unit, as well reproducing circuitry for reproducing a video signal, and a sub-picture signal former responsive to a video signal supplied thereto for providing a sub-picture signal adapted to be displayed as a sub-picture insert of a main picture. A switch couples either the video output from the video playback unit or the video output from the reproducing circuitry included in the video recording unit to the sub-picture signal former. The video signal which is not coupled to the sub-picture signal former constitutes the main picture signal; and the sub-picture and main picture signals are combined to form a display signal which, when displayed, produces a main picture and a sub-picture insert. A common housing contains the video playback and video recording units, the sub-picture signal former, the switch and the sub-picture/main picture signal combining circuit.

Claims

1. Dual video recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a video playback unit;

a video recording unit including recording means for recording a video signal and reproducing means for reproducing a video signal;

supply means for supplying an output video signal from said video playback unit to the recording means of said video recording unit;

sub-picture signal forming means responsive to a video signal supplied thereto for deriving therefrom a sub-picture signal adapted to cause the display of a sub-picture insert in a main picture displayed on a video display;

switch means for receiving a video signal from said video playback unit and a video signal from the producing means of said video recording unit and selectively operative to couple one of said video signals to said sub-picture signal forming means and to couple the other of said video signals as a main picture signal;

control means for controlling the operation of said switch means; and

combining means for combining said sub-picture and main picture signals to form a display signal for displaying a main picture and a sub-picture insert;

said sub-picture signal forming means including means for locating said sub-picture insert in said main picture adjacent one side of said video display when said sub-picture signal is derived from a video signal from said video playback unit, and for locating said sub-picture insert in said main picture adjacent another side of said video display when said sub-picture signal is derived from a video signal from said reproducing means of the video recording unit, so that the source of the sub-picture signal is identified by the location of said sub-picture insert in the main picture.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein said sub-picture signal forming means includes an analog-to-digital converter for receiving a video signal, memory means for storing digital signals produced by said analog-to-digital converter and a digital-to-analog converter coupled to said memory means for receiving digital signals read therefrom; and

wherein said means for locating the sub-picture insert in the main picture includes memory control means operative to control the time at which digital signals are read from said memory means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising system control means coupled to said combining means for inhibiting the sub-picture signal from being combined with the main picture signal to form said display signal, whereby only a main picture is displayed from said display signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a keyboard having a control key operative to supply a control signal to said control means and thereby determine which video signal is coupled by said switch means as said main picture signal and which video signal is coupled to said sub-picture forming means.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a housing for containing the video playback and video recording units, sub-picture signal forming means, switch means, combining means and control means;

and wherein said keyboard is physically separate from and not included in said housing.

6. Dual video recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a video playback unit;

a video recording unit including recording means for recording a video signal and reproducing means for reproducing a video signal;

supply means for supplying an output video signal from said video playback unit to the recording means of said video recording unit;

sub-picture signal forming means responsive to a video signal supplied thereto for deriving therefrom a sub-picture signal adapted to cause the display of a sub-picture insert in a main picture displayed on a video display;

said sub-picture signal forming means including an analog-to-digital-converter for receiving a video signal, memory means for storing digital signal produced by said analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter coupled to said memory means for receiving digital signal read therefrom, and memory control means for controlling at least timing of the reading of digital signals from said memory means and thereby determining the location in said main picture at which the sub-picture is inserted;

switch means for receiving a video signal from said video playback unit and a video signal from the reproducing means of said video recording unit and selectively operative to couple one of said video signals to said sub-picture signal forming means and to couple the other of said video signals as a main picture signal;

combining means for combining said sub-picture and main picture signals to form a display signal for displaying a main picture and a sub-picture insert;

said switch means including first means for coupling the video signal from the reproducing means of said video recording unit to said analog-to-digital converter, while the output of said digital-to-analog converter is supplied as said sub-picture signal to said combining means, and second means for coupling the video signal from said video playback unit to said combining means as said main picture signal;

control means for controlling the operation of said switch means; and

a housing for containing the video playback and video recording units, sub-picture signal forming means, switch means, combining means and control means.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said video playback unit is disposed at a first side in said housing and said video recording unit is disposed at an opposite side in said housing;

and wherein said memory control means reads the digital signals from said memory means at a time relative to the main picture signal such that the sub-picture is inserted in the main picture at a location corresponding to the side in said housing at which the video recording unit is disposed.

8. Dual video recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a video playback unit;

a video recording unit including recording means for recording a video signal and reproducing means for reproducing a video signal;

supply means for supplying an output video signal from said video playback unit to the recording means of said video recording unit;

sub-picture signal forming means responsive to a video signal supplied thereto for deriving therefrom a sub-picture signal adapted to cause the display of a sub-picture insert in a main picture displayed on a video display;

said sub-picture signal forming means including an analog-to-digital-converter for receiving a video signal, memory means for storing digital signal produced by said analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter coupled to said memory means for receiving digital signal read therefrom, and memory control means for controlling at least timing of the reading of digital signals from said memory means and thereby determining the location in said main picture at which the sub-picture is inserted;

switch means for receiving a video signal from said video playback unit and a video signal from the reproducing means of said video recording unit and selectively operative to couple one of said video signals to said sub-picture signal forming means and to couple the other of said video signals as a main picture signal;

combining means for combining said sub-picture and main picture signals to form a display signal for displaying a main picture and a sub-picture insert;

said switch means including first means for coupling the video signal from the video playback unit to said analog-to-digital converter, while the output of said digital-to-analog converter is supplied as said sub-picture signal to said combining means, and second means for coupling the video signal from said reproducing means of the video recording unit to said combining means as said main picture signal;

control means for controlling the operation of said switch means; and

a housing for containing the video playback and video recording units, sub-picture signal forming means, switch means, combining means and control means.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said video playback unit is disposed at a first side in said housing and said video recording unit is disposed at an opposite side in said housing;

and wherein said memory control means reads the digital signals from said memory means at a time relative to the main picture signal such that the sub-picture is inserted in the main picture at a location corresponding to the side in said housing at which the video recording unit is disposed.

10. Dual video recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a video playback unit;

a video recording unit including recording means for recording a video signal and reproducing means for reproducing a video signal;

supply means for supplying an output video signal from said video playback unit to the recording means of said video recording unit;

sub-picture signal forming means responsive to a video signal supplied thereto for deriving therefrom a sub-picture signal adapted to cause the display of a sub-picture insert in a main picture displayed on a video display;

said sub-picture signal forming means including an analog-to-digital-converter for receiving a video signal, memory means for storing digital signal produced by said analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter coupled to said memory means for receiving digital signal read therefrom, and memory control means operative to control the writing of a selected portion of digital signals from said analog-to-digital converter in said memory means to reduce the size of the sub-picture relative to said main picture, said memory control means being further operative to control timing of the reading of digital signals from said memory means and thereby determining the location in said main picture at which the sub-picture is inserted;

switch means for receiving a video signal from said video playback unit and a video signal from the reproducing means of said video recording unit and selectively operative to couple one of said video signals to said sub-picture signal forming means and to couple the other of said video signals as a main picture signal;

combining means for combining said sub-picture and main picture signals to form a display signal for displaying a main picture and a sub-picture insert;

control means for controlling the operation of said switch means; and

a housing for containing the video playback and video recording units, sub-picture signal forming means, switch means, combining means and control means.

11. Dual video recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a video playback unit;

a video recording unit including recording means for recording a video signal and reproducing means for reproducing a video signal;

supply means for supplying an output video signal from said video playback unit to the recording means of said video recording unit;

sub-picture signal forming means responsive to a video signal supplied thereto for driving therefrom a sub-picture signal adapted to cause the display of a sub-picture insert in a main picture displayed on a video display;

said sub-picture signal forming means including an analog-to-digital-converter for receiving a video signal, memory means for storing a frame of digitized video signals produced by said analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter coupled to said memory means for receiving digital signal read therefrom, and memory control means for controlling at least reading of digital signals from said memory means;

supply means for supplying an output video signal from said video playback unit to the recording means of said video recording unit and which comprises selected means coupled to said video playback unit and to said digital-to-analog converter for selecting the output video signal from said video playback unit or a frame of analog video signals produced by said digital-to-analog converter to be supplied to the recording means of said video recording unit, whereby a still picture signal is recorded when the frame of analog video signals is selected;

switch means for receiving a video signal from said video playback unit and a video signal from the reproducing means of said video recording unit and selectively operative to couple one of said video signals to said sub-picture signal forming means and to couple the other of said video signals as a main picture signal;

combining means for combining said sub-picture and main picture signals to form a display signal for displaying a main picture and a sub-picture insert;

control means for controlling the operation of said switch means; and

a housing for containing the video playback and video recording units, sub-picture signal forming means, switch means, combining means and control means.