Record carrier containing an audio and/or video signal which has been encoded and includes a decoder delay time parameter indicating a time delay for one or more portions of the signal

• US 5,608,697 A
• Filed: 03/18/1996
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: De Haan, Wiebe, Van Der Meer, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUBER, PAUL W
• Application Number:
  US08/616,951
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 369/32, 369/33, 369/47, 369/48, 369/49, 369/50, 369/54, 369/58, 369/59, 369/60, 369/124, 369/275.3
• US Class Current: 369/47.33
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1251 for continuous data, e.g. digitised analog information signals, pulse code modulated [PCM] data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/255 CD-I, i.e. CD-interactive
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3036 Time code signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9205 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9267 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/937 : by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate store
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/52 : Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/804 : involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for encoding and decoding an audio and/or video signal, and a record carrier for use with such apparatus. One or more audio and/or full motion video signals, e.g., a video signal (and possibly computer data), are recorded on an interactive compact disc. The video signal prior to being recorded is encoded into code blocks of variable lengths, each corresponding to a picture or picture pair. A decoder delay time parameter associated with one or more of the code blocks, which parameter represents a length of time (i.e., a delay time) with which the corresponding picture of a code block is to be displayed after that code block has been received by a decoding apparatus is determined and included in the video signal prior to being recorded.

Claims

1. A record carrier for use with a decoding device which decodes an audio and/or video signal which has been encoded as successive code blocks making up an encoded signal, which decoding device includes a decoder buffer for receiving the encoded signal and a decoder for decoding the encoded signal, the record carrier comprising:

the code blocks; and

a delay time parameter which represents a length of time during which a code block of the code blocks is to be stored within the decoder buffer before decoding by the decoder in order to ensure that the decoder buffer will not experience overflow or underflow of the code blocks.

2. The record carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delay time parameter is included in the code block.

3. The record carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the code block is a first code block of the code blocks.

4. The record carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delay time parameter represents the length of time during which each of the code blocks is to be stored within the decoder buffer before decoding by the decoder in order to ensure that the decoder buffer will not experience overflow or underflow of the code blocks.

5. The record carrier as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of delay time parameters which are each associated with and included in a different one of the code blocks.

6. The record carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delay time parameter is a time indication.

7. The record carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delay time parameter is a number of clock period of a predetermined clock signal.

8. The record carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delay time parameter is the state of a counter.

9. The record carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delay time parameter is the degree of occupation the decoder buffer must be at before the code block, after being included therein, is to be decoded.