Branching table for interactive video display
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing interactive control of a video laser disc player, said video laser disc player including a laser disc having at least one chapter for reading by a playback head, said chapter having a portion for storing video information and a portion for storing audio information, said audio information portion having a main channel audio portion and a subcode channel portion, said subcode channel portion having branch table information stored therein, said apparatus comprising:
- a) means for reading said branch table information, said reading means including;
i) a subcode channel decoder coupled to said player adapted to receive information stored in said subcode channel as it is read by said playback head and decode said information into subcode packs;
ii) means for converting the subcode packs into rows and columns of branch table information;
b) storage means for storing said read branch table information;
c) means for determining the time position of said playback head relative to said laser disc;
d) means for determining which one of a plurality of control buttons has been depressed by an operator of the player;
e) means for generating control signals which direct the playback head of said player to a position on said laser disc as a function of the branch table information, the relative position of said playback head and the control button determined to have been depressed by said operator.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for enabling a user of a video laser disc to interact with the video image being displayed so as to provide capabilities which are either not available or difficult to implement using prior art techniques. An example of the use of the present invention would be to enable a user, while viewing a music video or movie, to be presented with a menu specifying choices which the user may make wherein the next program played is an item from the menu selected by the user. A branch table is encoded within what is known as a subcode channel of a laser video disc, which table is loaded into a memory and specifies information which identifies segments on the laser video disc to which the playback head of the laser video disc should go when a particular control button is pressed on a remote control.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for providing interactive control of a video laser disc player, said video laser disc player including a laser disc having at least one chapter for reading by a playback head, said chapter having a portion for storing video information and a portion for storing audio information, said audio information portion having a main channel audio portion and a subcode channel portion, said subcode channel portion having branch table information stored therein, said apparatus comprising:
-
a) means for reading said branch table information, said reading means including; i) a subcode channel decoder coupled to said player adapted to receive information stored in said subcode channel as it is read by said playback head and decode said information into subcode packs; ii) means for converting the subcode packs into rows and columns of branch table information; b) storage means for storing said read branch table information; c) means for determining the time position of said playback head relative to said laser disc; d) means for determining which one of a plurality of control buttons has been depressed by an operator of the player; e) means for generating control signals which direct the playback head of said player to a position on said laser disc as a function of the branch table information, the relative position of said playback head and the control button determined to have been depressed by said operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for providing interactive control of a video laser disc player, said video laser disc player including a laser disc having at least one chapter for reading by a playback head, said chapter having a portion for storing video information and a portion for storing audio information, said audio information portion having a main channel audio portion and a subcode channel portion, said subcode channel portion having branch table information stored therein, said method comprising the steps of:
-
a) receiving information stored in said subcode channel as it is read by said playback head and decoding said information into subcode packs; b) converting the subcode packs into rows and columns of branch table information; c) storing said read branch table information; d) determining the time position of said playback head relative to said laser disc; e) determining which one of a plurality of control buttons has been depressed by an operator of the player; f) generating control signals which direct the playback head of said player to a position on said laser disc as a function of the branch table information, the relative position of said playback head and the control button determined to have been depressed by said operator. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification