Digital recording and/or reproduction apparatus of video signal rearranging components within a fixed length block

• US 5,473,479 A
• Filed: 05/02/1994
• Issued: 12/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takakura, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Psitos, Aristotelis
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, WON TAE C
• Application Number:
  US08/236,131
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 360/32, 360/48, 360/53, 358/135, 358/310, 358/335, 358/906, 358/909
• US Class Current: 360/48
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1809 by interleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/146 Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/147 according to rate distortion criteria rate-distortion as a criterion for motion estimation H04N19/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/154 Measured or subjectively estimated visual quality after decoding, e.g. measurement of distortion use of rate-distortion criteria H04N19/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/179 the unit being a scene or a shot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/88 involving rearrangement of data among different coding units, e.g. shuffling, interleaving, scrambling or permutation of pixel data or permutation of transform coefficient data among different blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/89 involving methods or arrangements for detection of transmission errors at the decoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/895 in combination with error concealment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/78266 using more than one track for the recording of one television field or frame, i.e. segmented recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/945 for signals recorded by pulse code modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7973 by dividing the luminance or colour component signal samples or frequency bands among a plurality of recording channels H04N9/804, H04N9/825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

In a digital VTR that carries out magnetic recording and reproduction by bit rate reduction coding a digital video signal, a fixed length block is formed by controlling the code amount of a large block including a plurality of small blocks located distant from each other on a screen at the time of recording. The fixed length block is divided into a plurality of recording blocks so that the main components of respective small blocks are included separately on the recording blocks. The recording blocks are rearranged so that recording blocks including the main components of small blocks adjacent on a screen are also adjacent on a recording medium. Thus, the possibility of deviation in the information amount of each large block is suppressed to improve efficiency of bit rate reduction coding, and to obtain a high speed reproduced picture of high quality.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording digitally a supplied digital video signal, comprising:

means for forming a plurality of small blocks, each including a plurality of pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of said digital video signal,

means for forming a plurality of large blocks, each including a plurality of said small blocks located distant from each other on a screen,

means for coding said digital video signal for each of said small blocks constituting said large block,

means for controlling the code amount for each said large block so that the total code amount of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said large block is constant to form a fixed length block,

means for dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks so that respective main components of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block are included separately in the plurality of recording blocks,

means for rearranging said plurality of recording blocks so that recording blocks including the main components of small blocks adjacent to each other on a screen are also adjacent on a recording medium, and

means for recording said rearranged plurality of recording blocks on said recording medium.

2. The digital recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for dividing said fixed length block includes means for storing first the main component of each small block into the corresponding recording block, where an average of the code length of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block being defined as the code length of the recording block, and for storing the code which could not be stored in one recording block out of the code of a small block having a code length longer than the average code length into an empty area of another recording block in which another small block having a code length shorter than the average code length is stored.

3. An apparatus for reproducing digitally a recorded digital video signal, at the time of recording said digital video signal, a plurality of small blocks are formed each including a plurality of pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of a supplied digital signal to be recorded, a plurality of large blocks are formed each including a plurality of said small blocks located distant from each other on a screen, said digital video signal is coded for each of said small blocks constituting said large block, a fixed length block is formed by controlling the code amount for each said large block so that the total code amount of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said large block is constant, said fixed length block is divided into a plurality of recording blocks so that respective main components of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block are included separately in the plurality of recording blocks, said plurality of recording blocks are rearranged on the basis of said recording block so that recording blocks including the main components of small blocks adjacent to each other on a screen are also adjacent on a recording medium, said rearranged plurality of recording blocks are recorded on said recording medium,

said digital reproduction apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a plurality of said recording blocks recorded on said recording medium,

means for rearranging said detected recording blocks on the basis of said recording block to be in the original order prior to recording,

means for reconstructing said fixed length block from the plurality of said recording blocks constituting said large block,

means for decoding said digital video signal for each of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said reconstructed fixed length block, and

means for rearranging the plurality of small blocks constituting said fixed length block to restore pixels corresponding to the digital video signal at the time of recording.

4. An apparatus for recording digitally a supplied digital video signal and for reproducing digitally a recorded digital video signal, comprising:

means for forming a plurality of small blocks, each including a plurality of pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of said digital video signal,

means for forming a plurality of large blocks, each including a plurality of said small blocks located distant from each other on a screen,

means for coding said digital video signal for each of said small blocks constituting said large block,

means for controlling the code amount for each said large block so that the total code amount of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said large block is constant to form a fixed length block,

means for dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks so that respective main components of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block are included separately in the plurality of recording blocks,

means for rearranging said plurality of recording blocks so that recording blocks including the main components of small blocks adjacent to each other on a screen are also adjacent on a recording medium,

means for recording said rearranged plurality of recording blocks onto said recording medium,

means for detecting said plurality of said recording blocks recorded on said recording medium,

means for rearranging said detected recording blocks to be in the original order prior to recording,

means for reconstructing said fixed length block from the plurality of said recording blocks constituting said large block,

means for decoding said digital video signal for each of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said reconstructed fixed length block, and

means for rearranging the plurality of small blocks constituting said fixed length block to restore pixels corresponding to the digital video signal at the time of recording.

5. The digital recording and reproduction apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said means for dividing said fixed length block includes means for storing first the main components of each small block into the corresponding recording block, where an average of the code length of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block being defined as the code length of the recording block, and for storing the code which could not be stored in one recording block out of the code of a small block having a code length longer than the average code length into an empty area of another recording block in which a small block having a code length shorter than the average code length is stored.

6. An apparatus for recording digitally a video signal, comprising:

small blocking means for grouping a plurality of pixels for forming a plurality of small blocks;

coding means for coding said video signal for each small block;

large blocking means for grouping said plurality of small blocks obtained by said small blocking means for forming a plurality of large blocks;

means for constituting a fixed length block by controlling the amount of codes coded by said coding means to be constant for each large block;

means for dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks; and

recording block processing means for applying coding to said recording block to correct an error to be generated in reproduction and carrying out rearranging of the recording blocks for recording the rearranged recording blocks on a recording medium;

wherein said large blocking means forms each large block from a plurality of small blocks located apart from each other on a screen, said means for dividing said fixed length block carries out dividing so that components important to decode respective small blocks forming said large block are included in separate recording blocks, and said recording block processing means rearranges small blocks having their main components included in recording blocks adjacent on said recording medium, to be adjacent on said screen.

7. The digital recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said means for dividing said fixed length block includes means for storing first the main component of each small block into the corresponding recording block, where an average of the code length of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block being defined as the code length of the recording block, and for storing the code which could not be stored in one recording block out of the code of a small block having a code length longer than the average code length into an empty area of another recording block in which another small block having a code length shorter than the average code length is stored.

8. An apparatus for reproducing digitally a video signal recorded by small blocking means for grouping a plurality of pixels for forming a plurality of small blocks;

coding means for coding a video signal for each small block;

large blocking means for grouping said plurality of small blocks obtained by said small blocking means for forming a plurality of large blocks;

means for constituting a fixed length block by controlling the amount of codes coded by said coding means to be constant for each large block;

means for dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks; and

recording block processing means for applying coding to said recording block to correct an error to be generated in reproduction and carrying out rearranging of the recording blocks for recording the rearranged recording blocks on a recording medium;

wherein said large blocking means forms each large block from a plurality of small blocks located apart from each other on a screen, said means for dividing said fixed length block carries out dividing so that components important to decode respective small blocks forming a large block are included in separate recording blocks, and said recording block processing means rearranges small blocks, having their main components included in recording blocks adjacent on said recording medium, to be adjacent on a screen, said apparatus comprising;

recording block reproducing means for detecting a digital signal thus recorded on said recording medium and for correcting an error when such error has occurred in the reproduction and for rearranging the detected digital signal in the original order to obtain said recording block;

concealing means for reducing undesired effect to picture quality when an error could not be corrected by said recording block reproducing means;

means for reconstructing a fixed length block from a plurality of recording blocks forming said large block; and

decoding means for decoding coded data in said fixed length block to obtain pixels in respective small blocks included in said fixed length block,

wherein said concealing means carries out decoding by substituting a component which is not so important with a suitable value even if there is an error in a recording block including said component which is not so important when there is an error in said recording block including the main component of said small block.

9. The digital reproduction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said concealing means includes means for substituting components other than said main components with a particular data, if there is no error in the portion of said recording block wherein the main components of a small block is included, and if there is an error in the portion of said recording block wherein components other than the main components of a small block is included.

10. An apparatus for recording and reproducing digitally a video signal, comprising:

small blocking means for grouping a plurality of pixels for forming a plurality of small blocks;

coding means for coding said video signal for each small blocks;

large blocking means for grouping said plurality of small blocks obtained by said small blocking means for forming a plurality of large blocks;

means for constituting a fixed length block by controlling the amount of codes coded by said coding means to be constant for each large block;

means for dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks;

recording block processing means for applying coding to said recording block to correct an error to be generated in reproduction and carrying out rearranging of the recording blocks for recording the rearranged recording blocks on a recording medium;

wherein said large blocking means forms each large block from a plurality of small blocks located apart from each other on a screen, said means for dividing said fixed length block carries out dividing so that components important to decode respective small blocks forming said large block are included in separate recording blocks, and said recording block processing means rearranges small blocks, having their main components included in recording blocks adjacent on a recording medium, to be adjacent on said screen,

recording block reproducing means for detecting a digital signal thus recorded on said recording medium and for correcting an error when such error has occurred in the reproduction and for rearranging the detected digital signal in the original order to obtain said recording block;

concealing means for reducing undesired effect to picture quality when an error could not be corrected by said recording block reproducing means;

means for reconstructing a fixed length block from a plurality of recording blocks forming said large block; and

decoding means for decoding coded data in said fixed length block to obtain pixels in respective small blocks included in said fixed length block,

wherein said concealing means carries out decoding by substituting a component which is not so important with a suitable value even if there is an error in a recording block including said component which is not so important when there is an error in a recording block including the main component of said small block.

11. The digital recording and reproduction apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said concealing means includes means for substituting components other than said main components with a particular data, if there is no error in the portion of said recording block wherein the main components of a small block are included, and if there is an error in the portion of said recording block wherein components other than the main components of a small block are included.

12. A method for recording digitally a supplied digital video signal, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a plurality of small blocks, each including a plurality of pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of said digital video signal;

(b) forming a plurality of large blocks, each including a plurality of said small blocks located distant from each other on a screen;

(c) coding said digital video signal for each of said small blocks constituting said large block;

(d) controlling the code amount for each said large block so that the total code amount of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said large block is constant to form a fixed length block;

(e) dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks so that respective main components of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block are included separately in the plurality of recording blocks;

(f) rearranging said plurality of recording blocks so that recording blocks including the main components of small blocks adjacent to each other on a screen are also adjacent on a recording medium; and

(g) recording said rearranged plurality of recording

blocks on said recording medium.

13. A method for reproducing digitally a recorded digital video signal, at the time of recording said digital video signal, a plurality of small blocks are formed each including a plurality of pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of a supplied digital signal to be recorded, a plurality of large blocks are formed each including a plurality of said small blocks located distant from each other on a screen, said digital video signal is coded for each of said small blocks constituting said large block, a fixed length block is formed by controlling the code amount for each said large block so that the total code amount of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said large block is constant, said fixed length block is divided into a plurality of recording blocks so that respective main components of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block are included separately in the plurality of recording blocks, said plurality of recording blocks are rearranged on the basis of said recording block so that recording blocks including the main components of small blocks adjacent to each other on a screen are also adjacent on a recording medium, said rearranged plurality of recording blocks are recorded on said recording medium,

said digital reproduction method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a plurality of said recording blocks recorded on said recording medium,

(b) rearranging said detected recording blocks on the basis of said recording block to be in the original order prior to recording,

(c) reconstructing said fixed length block from the plurality of said recording blocks constituting said large block,

(d) decoding said digital video signal for each of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said reconstructed fixed length block, and

(e) rearranging the plurality of small blocks constituting said fixed length block to restore pixels corresponding said fixed length block to restore pixels corresponding to the digital video signal at the time of recording.

14. A method for recording digitally a supplied digital video signal and for reproducing digitally a recorded digital video signal, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a plurality of small blocks, each including a plurality of pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of said digital video signal,

(b) forming a plurality of large blocks, each including a plurality of said small blocks located distant from each other on a screen,

(c) coding said digital video signal for each of said small blocks constituting said large block,

(d) controlling the code amount for each said large block so that the total code amount of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said large block is constant to form a fixed length block,

(e) dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks so that the respective main components of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said fixed length block are included separately in the plurality of recording blocks,

(f) rearranging said plurality of recording blocks so that recording blocks including the main components of small blocks adjacent to each other on a screen are also adjacent on a recording medium,

(g) recording said rearranged plurality of recording blocks onto said recording medium,

(h) detecting said plurality of said recording blocks recorded on said recording medium,

(i) rearranging said detected recording blocks to be in the original order prior to recording,

(j) reconstructing said fixed length block from the plurality of said recording blocks constituting said large block,

(k) decoding said digital video signal for each of the plurality of said small blocks constituting said reconstructed fixed length block, and

(l) rearranging the plurality of small blocks constituting said fixed length block to restore pixels corresponding to the digital video signal at the time of recording.

15. A method for recording digitally a video signal, comprising the steps of:

(a) grouping a plurality of pixels to form a plurality of small blocks;

(b) coding said video signal for each small block;

(c) grouping said plurality of small blocks to form a plurality of large blocks;

(d) constituting a fixed length block by controlling the amount of codes in step (b) to be constant for each large block;

(e) dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks; and

(f) applying coding to said recording block to correct an error to be generated in reproduction and carrying out rearranging of the recording blocks for recording the rearranged recording blocks on a recording medium;

wherein said step (c) forms each large block from a plurality of small blocks located apart from each other on a screen, said step (e) caries out dividing so that components important to decode respective small blocks forming said large block are included in separate recording blocks, and said step (f) rearranges small blocks, having their main components included in recording blocks adjacent on said recording medium, to be adjacent on said screen.

16. A method for reproducing digitally a video signal recorded by grouping a plurality of pixels for forming a plurality of small blocks;

coding a video signal for each small block;

grouping said plurality of small blocks for forming a plurality of large blocks;

constituting a fixed length block by controlling the amount of codes coded by said coding step to be constant for each large block;

dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks; and

applying coding to said recording block to correct an error to be generated in reproduction and rearranging of the recording blocks for recording the rearranged recording blocks on a recording medium;

wherein said step of grouping said plurality of small blocks forms each large block from a plurality of small blocks located apart from each other on a screen, said step of dividing said fixed length block carries out dividing so that components important to decode respective small blocks forming a large block are included in separate recording blocks, and said step of rearranging rearranges small blocks, having their main components included in recording blocks adjacent on said recording medium, to be adjacent on a screen, said method comprising the steps of;

(a) detecting a digital signal thus recorded on said recording medium and correcting an error when such error has occurred in the reproduction and rearranging the detected digital signal in the original order to obtain said recording block;

(b) reducing undesired effect to picture quality when an error could not be corrected in step (a);

(c) reconstructing a fixed length block from a plurality of recording blocks forming said large block; and

(d) decoding coded data in said fixed length block to obtain pixels in respective small blocks included in said fixed length block,

wherein said step (b) carries out decoding by substituting a component which is not so important with a suitable value even if there is an error in a recording block including said component which is not so important when there is an error in said recording block including the main component of said small block.

17. A method for recording and reproducing digitally a video signal, comprising the steps of:

(a) grouping a plurality of pixels for forming a plurality of small blocks;

(b) coding said video signal for each small block;

(c) grouping said plurality of small blocks obtained by said small blocking means for forming a plurality of large blocks;

(d) constituting a fixed length by controlling the amount of codes coded in said step (b) to be constant for each large block;

(e) dividing said fixed length block into a plurality of recording blocks;

(f) applying coding to said recording block to correct an error to be generated in reproduction and carrying out rearranging of the recording blocks for recording the rearranged recording blocks on a recording medium;

wherein said step (c) forms each large block from a plurality of small blocks located apart from each other on a screen, said step (e) carries out dividing so that components important to decode respective small blocks forming said large block are included in separate recording blocks, and said step (f) rearranges small blocks, having their main components included in recording blocks adjacent on a recording medium, to be adjacent on said screen;

(g) detecting a digital signal thus recorded on said recording medium and correcting an error when such error has occurred in the reproduction and rearranging the detected digital signal in the original order to obtain said recording block;

(h) reducing undesired effect to picture quality when an error could not be corrected in step (g);

(i) reconstructing a fixed length block from a plurality of recording blocks forming said large block; and

(j) decoding coded data in said fixed length block to obtain pixels in respective small blocks included in said fixed length block,

wherein said step (h) carries out decoding by substituting a component which is not so important with a suitable value even if there is an error in a recording block including said component which is not so important when there is an error in a recording block including the main component of said small block.