Device for programming of recording by reference signals recognition

• US 5,440,400 A
• Filed: 10/17/1994
• Issued: 08/08/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Micheron, Francois, Potier, Dominique, Refregier, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/327,811
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 358/311, 358/313, 358/335, 358/342, 358/310, 358/343, 358/341, 360/32, 360/14.1, 360/11.1
• US Class Current: 386/308
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

A driving device for driving a recording apparatus for selective recording of audio/video sequences, which is to actuate the recording apparatus at a precise instant of a beginning or of an ending of the audio/video sequence to be recorded. The driving device reduces picture datum from at least one reference picture belonging to the sequence to be recorded and a memory stores the reduced reference picture datum. A comparator compares the stored reduced reference datum with reduced picture data picked up from the set of picture sequences. A controller controls the recording apparatus to be activated to begin recording at the time the comparator detects a recognition of a picture similar to the stored reduced reference datum in the set of picture sequences.

Claims

1. A device for driving a recording apparatus for selective recording of an audio and/or video sequence from a set of received signal sequences, comprising:

reducing means for reducing the set of received signal sequences to generate reduced data;

selecting means for selecting a reduced reference portion from the reduced data;

storing means for storing the selected reduced reference portion;

comparing means for comparing the stored reduced reference portion with the reduced data picked up from the set of received signal sequences and output by the reducing means; and

control means for controlling the recording apparatus to be activated to begin recording only when the comparing means detects a positive comparison between the stored reduced reference portion and the reduced data picked up from the set of received signal sequences.

2. The driving device according to claim 1, wherein the comparing means comprises a single logic gate for receiving as inputs the reduced reference portion from the storing means and the reduced data picked up from the set of received signal sequences, an output of the single logic gate indicating whether the reduced reference portion matches the reduced data picked up from the set of received signal sequences.

3. The driving device according to claim 2, wherein the comparing means further comprises a counter which is incremented each time the stored single logic gate detects a positive comparison between the reduced reference portion and the reduced data picked up from the set of received signal sequences.

4. The driving device according to claim 3, wherein the control means activates the recording apparatus to begin recording when the counter exceeds a predetermined value.

5. The driving device according to claim 1, wherein the comparing means comprises means for detecting a positive comparison between the stored reduced reference portion and the reduced data picked up from the set of received signal sequences by mathematical transformations and artificial intelligence.

6. The driving device according to claim 1, wherein the reducing means reduces levels of luminance components of the set of received signal sequences.

7. The driving device according to claim 6, wherein the reducing means further reduces levels of chrominance components of the set of received signal sequences.

8. The driving device according to claim 1, wherein the reducing means reduces levels of chrominance components of the set of received signal sequences.

9. The driving device according to claim 1, wherein the reducing means undersamples at least one frame from the set of received signal sequences.

10. A device for driving a recording apparatus for selective recording of a picture sequence from a set of electronic picture sequences, comprising:

means for reducing the set of electronic picture sequences to generate reduced picture data;

selecting means for selecting at least one reduced reference picture from the reduced picture data;

a memory for storing the selected reduced reference picture;

a comparator for comparing the stored reduced reference picture with the reduced picture data picked up from the set of electronic picture sequences and output by the means for reducing;

a controller for controlling the recording apparatus to be activated to begin recording only when the comparator detects a positive comparison between the stored reduced reference picture and the reduced picture data picked up from the set of electronic picture sequences.

11. The driving device according to claim 10, wherein the comparator comprises a single logic gate for receiving as inputs the reduced reference picture from the memory and the reduced picture data picked up from the set of electronic picture sequences, an output of the single logic gate indicating whether the reduced reference picture matches the reduced picture data picked up from the set of received electronic picture sequences.

12. The driving device according to claim 11, wherein the comparator further comprises a counter which is incremented each time the single logic gate detects a positive comparison between the stored reduced reference picture and the reduced picture data picked up from the set of received electronic picture sequences.

13. The driving device according to claim 12, wherein the controller activates the recording apparatus to begin recording when the counter exceeds a predetermined value.

14. The driving device according to claim 10, wherein the comparator comprises means for detecting a positive comparison between the stored reduced reference picture and the reduced picture data picked up from the set of electronic picture sequences by mathematical transformations and artificial intelligence.

15. The driving device according to claim 10, wherein the means for reducing reduces levels of luminance components of the set of received electronic picture sequences.

16. The driving device according to claim 15, wherein the means for reducing further reduces levels of chrominance components of the set of received electronic picture sequences.

17. The driving device according to claim 10, wherein the means for reducing reduces levels of chrominance components of the set of received electronic picture sequences.

18. The driving device according to claim 10, wherein the means for reducing undersamples at least one frame from the set of received electronic picture sequences.

19. A device for driving a recording apparatus for selective recording of at least one of an audio or video sequence from a set of received signal sequences, comprising:

a circuit for video recognition comprising;

a reducing means for reducing video images from the set of received signal sequences to generate reduced video data;

a selecting means for selecting a reference video portion from the reduced video data;

a first memory for storing the selected reduced reference video portion;

a first comparator for comparing the stored reduced reference video portion with the reduced video data picked up from the set of received signal sequences and output by the reducing means;

a circuit for audio recognition comprising;

sampling means for sampling audio signals from the set of received signal sequences and selecting a reference audio portion;

a second memory for storing the selected reference audio portion;

a second comparator for comparing the stored reference audio portion with the sampled audio signals picked up from the set of received signal sequences;

a controller for controlling the recording apparatus to be activated to begin recording only when at least one of the first or second comparators detects a positive comparison.