Scene boundary detecting apparatus

• US 5,179,449 A
• Filed: 01/11/1990
• Issued: 01/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Doi, Miwako
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Application Number:
  US07/463,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 358/311, 358/310, 358/335, 358/906, 358/909, 358/182, 358/183, 358/22, 360/14.1, 360/33.1, 360/35.1
• US Class Current: 386/278
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• 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: H04N 5/147 Scene change detection

Abstract

A dynamic image editor apparatus for video tape automatically moves to the beginning frames of scenes. A characteristic data such as the illuminance of each frame is measured. Neighboring frames are compared to detect the change in the characteristic data between frames. When the difference exceeds a threshold level a scene boundary is determined. The editor may then automatically move to a scene boundary in the forward or rewind direction so that the user can edit the scenes at exactly the boundary frame.

Claims

1. A dynamic image control apparatus for controlling display of a dynamic image in a beginning forward-mode and in a beginning-rewind mode, comprising:

dynamic image memory means for storing a plurality of image frames which form a plurality of sequential scenes of a dynamic image;

measuring means for measuring a parameter of each video frame;

detector means for detecting a beginning frame of a scene based on the measured parameter; and

control means for stopping the dynamic image in the beginning-forward mode or in the beginning-rewind mode in accordance with the detected beginning frame.

2. The dynamic image control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means measures one of illuminance, volume, color-tone and density of the dynamic image.

3. The dynamic image control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means operates to stop the dynamic image in a play mode in accordance with the detected beginning frame.

4. The dynamic image control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising input means for designating the beginning forward mode for finding the beginning frame in a forward direction and the beginning-rewind mode finding the beginning frame in a rewind direction.

5. The dynamic image control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a beginning memory means for memorizing a frame number of each beginning frame.

6. The dynamic image control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the beginning memory means memorizes pointer numbers corresponding to the frame numbers of a plural beginning frames, the pointer numbers indicating the order of a series of scenes which begin at the corresponding frame numbers.

7. The dynamic image control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detector means calculates the difference in the parameter for two neighboring frames and determines a beginning frame if the difference exceeds a threshold value.

8. A method of controlling a dynamic image in a beginning-forward mode and a beginning-rewind mode, comprising the steps of:

memorizing a plurality of image frames which form a plurality of sequential scenes of a dynamic image;

measuring a parameter of the dynamic image for each image frame;

determining the difference in the parameter between neighboring frames;

determining a beginning frame for a series of scenes when the difference exceeds a threshold; and

controlling movement of the dynamic image to stop in the beginning-forward mode and in the beginning-rewind mode in accordance with the detected beginning frame.

9. The method of controlling according to claim 8, wherein said measuring step measures one of illuminance, volume, color-tone and density of the dynamic image.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of memorizing frame numbers for plural beginning frames and a pointer number corresponding to each memorized beginning frame number, the pointers numbers indicating the order of a series of scenes which begin at the beginning frame numbers corresponding to said pointer numbers.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of controlling in the beginning forward mode comprises the steps of:

increasing the pointer number by one; and

moving the dynamic image to the frame number corresponding to the pointer number increased by one.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of controlling in the beginning-rewind mode comprises the steps:

decreasing the pointer number by one; and

moving the dynamic image to the frame number corresponding to the point number decreased by one.