Subtitle encoding/decoding method and apparatus

• US 5,848,217 A
• Filed: 07/24/1996
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Moriyuki, Tsukagoshi, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/686,192
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/6-8, 386/45, 386/68, 386/69, 386/70, 386/81-82, 386/95, 386/98, 386/125, 386/126, 360/18, 360/19, 360/20, 360/40, 360/48, 360/27, 348/232, 348/233, 358/906, 434/307 A
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2537 Optical discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9208 involving the use of subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/926 by pulse code modulation H04N5/919 takes precedence

Abstract

Subtitle searching is achieved by encoding a subtitle to be displayed exclusively during a trick playback mode. Addresses for the subtitle to be played back during the trick playback mode are stored on a record medium reserved for addresses. A computer-readable memory directs a computer to retrieve these addresses and locate subtitles to be displayed during the trick playback mode on the record medium. The subtitles are searched by decoding and displaying the subtitles located at the addresses on the record medium to be displayed during the trick playback mode.

Claims

1. A method of storing subtitles composed of bit streams of subtitle data on a record medium having sectors arranged by address, said subtitles being stored with encoded video data constituting a video picture composed of a series of video frames, comprising the steps of:

writing a first subtitle to be displayed with said video frames during a normal playback mode on the record medium at a first address;

writing said first address on said record medium in an area reserved for addresses of the record medium;

writing a second subtitle, different in textual content from said first subtitle, to be displayed during a trick playback mode, on the record medium at a second address; and

writing said second address on said record medium in said area reserved for addresses.

2. The method of storing subtitles of claim 1, wherein the step of writing a second subtitle further comprises writing the second subtitle as a page of bit streams of subtitle data beginning with a page header portion positioned at said second address on the record medium.

3. The method of storing subtitles of claim 2, wherein the step of writing said second subtitle further comprises encoding display time information within said page header portion indicating a display time for the second subtitle.

4. The method of storing subtitles of claim 1, further comprising the step of writing a table of contents on a contiguous area of sectors of said record medium preceding the encoded video data that stores said first and second addresses for assisting retrieval of said subtitles during playback.

5. The method of storing subtitles of claim 1, further comprising the step of writing, on said record medium, a stream map as one of said bit streams of subtitle data that stores a record of said first and second addresses with the encoded video data for assisting retrieval of said subtitles during playback.

6. The method of storing subtitles of claim 1, further comprising the step of writing said second address as one of said bit streams of subtitle data on said record medium.

7. An apparatus for writing subtitles composed of bit streams of subtitle data on a record medium having sectors arranged by address, said subtitles being recorded with encoded video data constituting a video picture composed of a series of video frames, comprising:

subtitle writing means for writing a first subtitle to be displayed with said video frames during a normal playback mode on the record medium at a first address, and for writing a second subtitle, different in textual content from said first subtitle, to be displayed during a trick playback mode on the record medium at a second address; and

multiplexing means for multiplexing the first subtitle, the second subtitle and the encoded video data;

wherein said subtitle writing means writes the multiplexed data on said record medium, said first and second subtitles being written at said first and second addresses, respectively, and writes the first and second addresses on said record medium in an area reserved for addresses on the record medium.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the subtitle writing means writes the second subtitle on said record medium as a page of bit streams of subtitle data beginning with a page header portion at said second address.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the subtitle writing means writes display time information within said page header portion indicating a display time for the second subtitle during the normal playback mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said subtitle writing means further comprises means for writing a table of contents of the first and second addresses on a contiguous area of said record medium preceding the encoded video data for assisting retrieval of said subtitles during playback.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said subtitle writing means further comprises stream mapping means for writing, as one of said bit streams of subtitle data, the first and second addresses on said record medium with the encoded video data, for assisting retrieval of said subtitles during playback.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the subtitle writing means writes the encoded second address in a bit stream of subtitle data on said record medium.

13. A computer-readable memory for directing a computer to play back a subtitle to be displayed during a trick playback mode comprising:

first pointing means for directing said computer during a normal playback mode to skip to an address pointing to a sector of said computer-readable memory where a first subtitle to be displayed with a respective video frame is stored and for causing said computer to read said first subtitle; and

second pointing means for directing said computer during a trick playback mode to skip to an address pointing to a sector of said computer-readable memory where a second subtitle, being different in textual content from said first subtitle and to be displayed with said video frames, is stored and for causing said computer to read said second subtitle.

14. The computer-readable memory of claim 13, further comprising:

a driven pickup movable to different positions for reading said first and second subtitles from said computer readable memory in response to address signals produced by the first and second pointing means.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein said computer-readable memory is a digital video disc.

16. A method of reading subtitles composed of bit streams of subtitle data stored on a record medium having sectors arranged by address, said subtitles being encoded and recorded with video data constituting a video picture composed of a series of video frames to be displayed in normal and trick playback modes, comprising the steps of:

reading out a subtitle address stored on said record medium pointing to a subtitle to be displayed during said trick playback mode which is different in textual content than subtitles to be displayed in said normal playback mode;

reading out said subtitle stored on said record medium at said subtitle address read from said record medium; and

decoding said subtitle for display with a respective video frame during said trick playback mode.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

reading out display time data stored with the subtitles on said record medium indicating a duration in which subtitles are to be displayed in a video frame; and

varying said duration for different playback speeds of the trick playback mode of the video picture such that said subtitle is displayed for a time determined by a particular playback speed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of varying divides the display time data by twice the playback speed for the normal playback mode to speed up said duration as a function of the playback speed in trick playback mode.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of reading out the subtitle to be displayed in trick playback mode stored on said record medium as a page of bit streams of subtitle data beginning with a page header portion positioned at said subtitle address on the record medium.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of reading a table of contents stored on said record medium in a contiguous area of sectors preceding the encoded video data that stores addresses of the subtitles to be displayed in trick playback mode for assisting retrieval of said subtitles.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of reading, from said record medium, a stream map as one of said bit streams that stores the addresses of the subtitle to be displayed in the trick playback mode for assisting retrieval of said subtitles during decoding.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

reading said subtitle address stored on said record medium from one of said bit streams of subtitle data; and

decoding said subtitle address stored on said record medium as video encoded data for assisting retrieval of said subtitles.

23. An apparatus for recovering subtitles composed of bit streams of subtitle data from a record medium having sectors arranged by address, said subtitles being encoded and recorded with video data constituting a video picture composed of a series of video frames to be displayed in normal and trick playback modes, comprising:

means for reading, from said record medium, a subtitle address pointing to a subtitle to be displayed exclusively during said trick playback mode and for reading said subtitle at said subtitle address, wherein said subtitle to be displayed exclusively during said trick playback mode is different in textual content than subtitles to be displayed in said normal playback mode; and

means for decoding said subtitle for display with said respective video frame during said trick playback mode.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for reading out display time data stored with the subtitles on said record medium indicating a duration in which the subtitle is to be displayed in a video frame; and

means for varying said duration for different playback speeds of the video picture such that said subtitle is displayed for a time determined by a particular playback speed.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for varying is a multiplier which multiplies said display time data by a factor for varying said duration.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said factor is the inverse of twice the particular playback speed for speeding up the duration as a function of the playback speed.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for reading the subtitle for display in the trick playback mode stored on said record medium as a page of bit streams of subtitle data beginning with a page header portion positioned at said subtitle address on the record medium.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reading further reads a table of contents stored on said record medium in a contiguous area of sectors preceding the encoded video data which stores addresses of the subtitles to assist retrieval of said subtitles.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reading further reads, from a stream map stored on the record medium, the addresses of the subtitles on the record medium for assisting retrieval of said subtitles.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reading further reads said subtitle address as one of said bit streams of subtitle data from said record medium;

and

wherein, the decoding means further decodes said subtitle address.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a controller for driving a pick up to a sector of said subtitle address and for retrieving said subtitle from said record medium positioned at said subtitle address.