Digital high definition television receiver with features that facilitate trick-play modes on a digital VCR

• US 5,477,397 A
• Filed: 06/08/1993
• Issued: 12/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Corporation Of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Naimpally, Saiprasad V., Kim, Hee-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US08/073,789
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 360/33.1, 360/10.3, 360/24, 360/31, 360/18, 360/20, 358/12, 358/140, 358/141, 358/335, 358/310, 348/558, 348/390, 348/399, 348/403, 348/553
• US Class Current: 386/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4084 in the transform domain, e.g. fast Fourier transform [FFT] domain scaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 5/9264 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A high-definition television receiver includes circuitry to decode a received high-definition television signal to produce a digital data stream representing the corresponding high-definition television image. In addition, the receiver includes circuitry which generates a signal representing a reduced resolution image from the decoded data stream. The receiver provides both the high-definition television signal and the reduced resolution signal at an output port. A video tape recorder (VTR) receives the two signals, segments them and formats them onto the tape in a manner which allows a majority of the reduced resolution segments to be recovered and displayed in at least one of the VTR'"'"'s trick-play modes. The reduced resolution image may be from the same channel or from a different channel and may also be displayed as an inset picture (PIX-IN-PIX) in the main high-definition image.

Claims

1. A high-definition television receiver capable of decoding a high-definition video signal that was encoded using both intra-frame and predictive encoding techniques comprising:

means for receiving the encoded high-definition video signal;

decoding means for decoding the encoded high-definition video signal to produce a decoded digital signal representing a high-definition video image;

decimating means, responsive to the decoded digital signal, for decreasing the number of samples in the decoded digital signal to produce a decimated video signal representing a video image having a reduced number of picture elements;

means for encoding the decimated video signal, using intra-frame encoding techniques to the relative exclusion of predictive encoding techniques, to produce an encoded low-resolution video signal which is independent of the encoded high-definition video signal; and

output means for providing both the encoded high-definition video signal and the encoded low-resolution video signal.

2. A television receiver according to claim 1, wherein:

the encoded high-definition video signal is encoded using both intra-frame and predictive encoding techniques;

the decimating means reduces the number of samples in the decimated video signal by a factor of one-fourth relative to the decoded digital signal.

3. A high-definition video signal processing apparatus capable of decoding a high-definition video signal that was encoded using both intra-frame and predictive encoding techniques comprising:

means for receiving the encoded high-definition video signal;

decoding means for decoding the encoded high-definition video signal to produce a decoded digital signal representing a high-definition video image;

decimating means, responsive to the decoded digital signal, for decreasing the number of samples in the decoded digital signal to produce a decimated video signal representing a video image having a reduced number of picture elements;

means for encoding the decimated video signal, using intra-frame encoding techniques to the relative exclusion of predictive encoding techniques, to produce an encoded low-resolution video signal;

output means for providing both the encoded high-definition video signal and the encoded low-resolution video signal;

a video tape recorder (VTR), having at least one trick-play mode, coupled to receive the encoded high-definition video signal and the encoded low-resolution video signal provided by the output means, the VTR including;

means for separating each of the encoded high-definition video signal and the encoded low-resolution video signal into respective segments;

means for interleaving ones of the segments of the high-definition video signal with respective ones of the segments of the encoded low-resolution video signal to produce a combined signal;

means for recording the combined signal on the video tape such that a substantial portion of the encoded low-resolution signal is recovered by the VTR in the trick-play mode.

4. A high-definition video signal processing apparatus according to claim 3, further including:

means, coupled to the decoding means and including a display device, for processing the decoded digital signal to reproduce the high-definition video image on the display device.

5. A high-definition video signal processing apparatus according to claim 3, further including:

means for receiving a further encoded high-definition video signal;

further decoding means for decoding the further encoded high-definition video signal to produce a further decoded digital signal representing a further high-definition video image; and

means, coupled to receive the further decoded digital signal and the decimated video signal for processing the received signals to reproduce the high-definition video image on the display device and to reproduce the reduced resolution video image as an inset in the high-definition video image.

6. A high-definition television receiver and recorder which facilitates image reproduction in trick-play modes comprising:

means for receiving a high-definition video signal which was encoded using both intra-frame and predictive encoding techniques comprising;

decoding means for decoding the encoded high-definition video signal to produce a decoded digital signal representing a high-definition video image;

decimating means, responsive to the decoded digital signal, for decreasing the number of samples in the decoded digital signal to produce a decimated video signal representing a video image having a reduced number of picture elements;

means for encoding the decimated video signal, using intra-frame encoding techniques to the relative exclusion of predictive encoding techniques, to produce an encoded low-resolution video signal;

a video tape recorder (VTR), having at least one trick-play mode, coupled to receive the encoded high-definition video signal and the encoded low-resolution video signal, the VTR including;

means for separating each of the encoded high-definition video signal and the encoded low-resolution video signal into respective segments;

means for interleaving ones of the segments of the high-definition video signal with respective ones of the segments of the low-resolution video signal to produce a combined signal;

means for recording the combined signal on the video tape such that a substantial portion of the encoded low-resolution signal is recovered by the VTR in the trick-play mode.

7. A high-definition television receiver and recorder according to claim 6 further comprising:

means for receiving a further encoded high-definition video signal;

further decoding means for decoding the further encoded high-definition video signal to produce a further decoded digital signal representing a further high-definition video signal; and

means, coupled to receive the further decoded digital signal and the low-resolution video signal, for processing the received signals to reproduce the high-definition video image on the display device and to reproduce the reduced resolution video image as an inset in the high-definition video image.

8. A television receiver and recorder according to claim 7, wherein:

the decimating means reduces the number of samples in the decimated video signal by a factor of one-fourth relative to the decoded digital signal.