Image recording/reproducing apparatus

• US 6,002,831 A
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishijima, Hideo, Tada, Yukinobu, Kijima, Masayuki, Okamoto, Kaneyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boccio, Vincent F.
• Application Number:
  US08/949,335
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/4, 386/45-46, 386/52, 386/55, 386/80, 386/125-126, 386/81, 358/908, 348/907
• US Class Current: 386/249
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/22 Means responsive to presence or absence of recorded information signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/324 Duty cycle modulation of control pulses, e.g. VHS-CTL-coding systems, RAPID-time code, VASS- or VISS-cue signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/908 Pause control, i.e. "commercial killers"

Abstract

A video recording/reproducing apparatus capable of discriminating commercial message portions even when a broadcasting mode is the same. A magnetic head records television broadcasting signals to a magnetic tape and reproduces the television broadcasting signals from this magnetic tape. When the television broadcasting signals are reduced by recording/reproducing apparatus, an audio-free portion detector detects audio-free portions from audio signals in the television broadcasting signals. Commercial message (CM) portion detector detects the commercial message portions in the television broadcasting signals by the time intervals among a plurality of audio-free portions detected by the audio-free portion detector, and a CM information memory circuit stores the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions detected by this commercial message portion detector to the magnetic tape. When the television broadcasting signals are reproduced from the magnetic tape, reproduction is carried out while the commercial message portions are skipped, at the recording positions of the commercial message portions to the magnetic tape, on the basis of the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions to the magnetic tape that are stored in the memory circuit.

Claims

1. A video recording/reproducing apparatus including recording/reproducing means for recording television broadcasting signals in a recording medium and reproducing the television broadcasting signals from said recording medium, comprising:

audio-free portion detection means for detecting audio-free portions from audio signals of the television signals at the time of recording of the television broadcasting signals by said recording/reproduction means;

mode judgment means for detecting a broadcast mode of the television broadcasting signals when they are recorded by said recording/reproducing means, based on a difference of broadcasting modes between program content portions and commercial message portions in the television signals;

commercial message portion detection means for detecting the commercial message portions in the television broadcasting signals based on an analysis of time intervals between said audio-free portions detected by said audio-free portion detection means, and on the difference of the broadcasting modes detected by said mode judgment means, said analysis of time intervals comprising determining existence of a commercial message portion whenever time intervals between pairs of said audio free portions detected by said audio-free portion detection means correspond to a natural number multiple of a present time interval of N seconds, and occur at least two times successively;

memory means for storing information of recording positions within said recording medium of the commercial message portions detected by said commercial message portion detection means; and

control means for controlling reproduction from said recording medium at the time of reproduction of the television broadcasting signals from said recording medium by said recording/reproducing means, on the basis of the information of the recording positions within said recording medium of the commercial message portions stored in said memory means, so that reproduction can be carried out while the commercial message portions are skipped.

2. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means, which stores information concerning recording positions of the commercial message portions, comprises a semiconductor memory.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of audio free portions, which are consecutive in time, does not correspond to said natural number multiple of a preset time interval, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive audio free portions which adjacently precede or follow said first pair of audio free portions corresponds to said natural number multiple of a preset time interval, said control means causes said recording/reproducing means to skip over program material which occurs during time intervals included in said sum.

4. A video recording/reproducing apparatus including recording/reproducing means for recording television broadcasting signals to a recording medium and reproducing the television broadcasting signals from said recording medium, comprising:

audio-free portion detecting means for detecting audio-free portions from audio signals of the television signals at the time of recording of the television-broadcasting signals by said recording/reproducing means;

video signal detecting means for detecting changing points of video signals from video signals in the television broadcasting signals at the time of recording of the television broadcasting signals by said recording/reproducing means;

commercial message portion detecting means for detecting the commercial message portions in the television broadcasting signals whenever time intervals between pairs of coincident occurrences of said audio-free portions and said changing points of said video signals, detected respectively by said audio-free portion detecting means and said video signal detecting means, correspond to a natural number multiple of a preset time interval of N seconds and occur at least two times successively;

memory means for storing information of recording positions within said recording medium of the commercial message portions detected by said commercial message portion detecting means; and

control means for controlling reproduction of the television broadcasting signals from said recording medium by said recording/reproducing means, on the basis of the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions stored in said memory means to said recording medium, so that reproduction can be carried out while the commercial message portions are skipped, at the recording positions of the commercial message portions to said recording medium.

5. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said video signal detecting means detects points at which a level of said video signal changes to a black level, as changing points of said video signal.

6. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said memory means, for storing information concerning recording positions of the commercial message portions, comprises a semiconductor memory.

7. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said video signal detecting means detects points at which a level of said video signal changes to a white level, as changing points of said video signal.

8. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said memory means, for storing information concerning recording positions of the commercial message portions, comprises a semiconductor memory.

9. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said video signal detecting means detects points at which a level of the video signal greatly changes, as changing points of said video signal.

10. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said memory means, for storing information concerning recording positions of the commercial message portions, comprises a semiconductor memory.

11. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said memory means, for storing information concerning recording positions of the commercial message portions, comprises a semiconductor memory.

12. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of coincident occurrences of said audio free portions and said changing points, which coincident occurrences are consecutive in time, does not correspond to said natural number multiple of a preset time interval, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive coincident occurrences of said audio free portions and said changing points, which additional pairs adjacently precede or follow said first pair corresponds to said natural number multiple of a preset time interval, said control means causes said recording/reproducing means to skip over program material which occurs during time intervals included in said sum.

13. A video recording/reproducing apparatus including recording/reproducing means for recording television broadcasting signals to a recording medium and reproducing the television broadcasting signals from said recording medium, comprising;

audio-free portion detection means for detecting audio-free portions from audio signals of the television signals at the time of recording of the television broadcasting signals by said recording/reproducing means;

video signal detecting means for detecting changing points of video signals from the video signals in the television broadcasting signals at the time of recording of the television broadcasting signals by said recording/reproducing means;

mode judgment means for detecting a broadcast mode of the television broadcasting signals when they are recorded by said recording/reproducing means, based on a difference of broadcasting modes between program content portions and commercial message portions in the television signals;

commercial message portion detecting means for detecting commercial message portions in the television broadcasting signals based on an analysis of time intervals between audio-free portions detected by said audio-free portion detecting means, time intervals between the changing points of a plurality of video signals detected by said video signal detecting means, and the difference of the broadcasting modes detected by said mode judgment means, said analysis of time intervals comprising determining existence of a commercial message portion whenever time intervals between pairs of coincident occurrences of said audio-free portion and said changing points of video signals, detected respectively by said audio-free portion detection means and said video signal detecting means, correspond to a natural number multiple of a preset time interval of N seconds and occur at least two times successively; and

control means for storing information of recording positions of the commercial message portions detected by said commercial message portion detecting means in at least a leading position of at least a television signal stored in said recording medium, and for controlling reproduction from said recording medium at the time of reproduction of the television broadcasting signals from said recording medium by said recording/reproducing means, on the basis of the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions stored said at least a leading position of at least a television signal stored in said recording medium, so that reproduction can be carried out while the commercial message portions are skipped, at the recording positions of the commercial message portions to said recording medium.

14. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions stored in said recording medium is recorded at respective leading positions of a plurality of the television broadcasting signals stored in said recording medium;

and

wherein said control means controls reproduction from said recording medium based on the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions stored at the leading positions of the plurality of television signals stored in said recording medium.

15. A video recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions stored in said recording medium is recorded at respective leading and end positions of commercial message portions contained in a plurality of television broadcasting signals stored in said recording medium;

and

wherein said control means controls reproduction from said recording medium based on the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions stored at the leading and end positions of the plurality of television signals stored in said recording medium.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of coincident occurrences of said audio free portions and said changing points, which coincident occurrences are consecutive in time, does not correspond to said natural number multiple of a preset time interval, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive coincident occurrences of said audio free portions and said changing points, which additional pairs adjacently precede or follow said first pair corresponds to said natural number multiple of a preset time interval, said control means causes said recording/reproducing means to skip over program material which occurs during time intervals included in said sum.

17. A video recording/reproducing apparatus including recording/reproducing means for recording television broadcasting signals to a recording medium and reproducing the television broadcasting signals from said recording medium, comprising:

audio-free portion detection means for detecting audio-free portions from audio signals of the television signals at the time of recording of the television broadcasting signals by said recording/reproduction means;

video signal detecting means for detecting changing points of video signals from the video signals in the television signals at the time of recording of the television broadcasting signals by said recording/reproducing means;

mode judgement means for detecting a broadcast mode of the television broadcasting signals when they are recorded by said recording/reproducing means, on the basis of a difference of broadcasting modes between program content portions and commercial message portions in the television signals;

commercial message portion detection means for detecting the commercial message portions in the television broadcasting signals whenever time intervals between, pair of coincident occurrences of said audio-free portions and said changing points of said video signals, detected respectively by said audio-free portion detecting means and said video signal detection means, correspond to natural number multiples of a preset time interval of N seconds and occur at least two times successively;

memory means for storing information of recording positions within said recording medium of the commercial message portions detected by said commercial message portion detection means; and

control means for controlling reproduction from said recording medium at the time of reproduction of the television broadcasting signals from said recording medium by said recording/reproducing means, on the basis of the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions stored in said memory means to said recording medium, so that reproduction can be carried out while the commercial message portion are skipped, at the recording positions of the commercial message portions to said recording medium.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of changing points, which are consecutive in time, does not correspond to said predetermined time interval, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive changing points which adjacently precede or follow said first pair of changing points corresponds to said predetermined time interval, said control unit causes said recording/reproducing device to skip over program material which occurs during time intervals included in said sum.

19. Method of suppressing commercial message portions of an audio/visual signal containing at least an audio portion and a video portion, said method comprising:

detecting the occurrence of changing points in said audio/visual signal;

measuring elapsed time between pairs of said changing points;

determining that a commercial portion exists when said elapsed time between said pairs of changing points is approximately equal to a natural number multiple of a predetermined number of seconds N, for at least two contiguous pairs of changing points; and

suppressing said audio/visual signal during said commercial portions.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein said step of detecting occurrence of changing points in said audio/visual signal comprises detecting coincident occurrences of an audio-free portion in an audio component of said audio/visual signal and a predetermined change of a brightness level of a video component of said audio/visual signal.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said predetermined change of brightness of said video component comprises a fade out of said video component to a white level.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said predetermined change of brightness of said video component comprises a fade out of said video component to a black level.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of detecting occurrence of changing points in said audio/visual signal comprises:

monitoring an audio component of said audio/visual signal and generating first signals indicative of occurrences of audio-free portions thereof;

monitoring a visual component of said audio/visual signal and generating second signals indicative of occurrences of changing points in a level thereof; and

detecting coincident occurrence of said first and second signals.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said step of detecting coincident occurrence of said first and second signals comprises combining said first and second signals in a logical AND function.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of suppressing said audio/visual signal during said commercial portions comprises:

storing information concerning occurrences of determined commercial message portions; and

controlling a reproduction of said audio/visual signal based on stored information concerning occurrences of determined commercial message portions, so that said reproduction is suppressed during said commercial message portions.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said storing step comprises one of storing said information in a medium in which said audio/visual signal is recorded, and storing said information in a memory separate from such medium.

27. The method according to claim 19 wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of changing points, which are consecutive in time, is not approximately equal to said natural number multiple of a predetermined number of seconds N, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive changing points which adjacently precede or follow said first pair of changing points is approximately equal to said natural number multiple of a predetermined number of seconds N, a commercial portion is determined to exist during time intervals included in said sum.

28. Apparatus for recording/reproducing program material including audio and video signals, said apparatus comprising

a recording/reproducing device coupled to receive said program material;

a control unit which controls said recording/reproducing device to skip over portions of said program material wherein time intervals between pairs of changing points of said audio or video signal correspond to a predetermined time interval, and occur at least two times consecutively.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of changing points, which are consecutive in time, does not correspond to said predetermined time interval, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive changing points which adjacently precede or follow said first pair of changing points corresponds to said predetermined time interval, said control unit causes said recording/reproducing device to skip over program material which occurs during time intervals included in said sum.

30. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said detector detects said changing points when said audio and video signals change coincidentally.

31. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said changing points are points at which the audio signal level is lower than a predetermined level.

32. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said changing points are points at which the audio signal level is approximately zero.

33. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said changing points are points at which the video signal level changes substantially.

34. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein there is at least one changing point between said at least a pair of changing points.

35. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said control unit controls said recording/reproducing device to reproduce portions of said program material at a standard reproduction speed, which portions are within time intervals between changing points of said audio or video signal that correspond to a predetermined time interval, and which portions occur alone.

36. Apparatus for recording/reproducing program material including video and audio signals in a recording medium, comprising:

a detector which receives said program material and detects occurrences of predefined changing points in said audio and video signals;

a clock coupled to receive an output of said detector, which clock measures time intervals between said changing points;

a recording/reproducing device which receives and records or reproduces said program material in said recording medium; and

a control unit which controls said recording/reproducing device to skip over portions of said program material wherein time intervals between pairs of changing points of said audio or video signal correspond to a predetermined time interval, and occur at least two times consecutively.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of changing points, which are consecutive in time, does not correspond to said predetermined time interval, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive changing points which adjacently precede or follow said first pair of changing points corresponds to said predetermined time interval, said control unit causes said recording/reproducing device to skip over program material which occurs during time intervals included in said sum.

38. Apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said detector detects said changing points when said audio and video signals change coincidentally.

39. Apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said changing points are points at which the audio signal level is lower than a predetermined level.

40. Apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said changing points are points at which the audio signal level is approximately zero.

41. Apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said changing points are points at which the video signal level changes substantially.

42. Apparatus according to claim 36, wherein there is at least one changing point between said at least a pair of changing points.

43. Apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said control unit controls said recording/reproducing device to reproduce portions of said program material at a standard reproduction speed, which portions are within time intervals between changing points of said audio or video signal that correspond to a predetermined time interval, and which portions occur alone.

44. A method of recording/reproducing program material including video and audio signals in a recording medium, comprising:

detecting occurrence of predefined changing points in said video signal and said audio signal;

measuring time intervals between said changing points; and

during playback of said program material, skipping over portions of said program material wherein at least two consecutive measured time intervals between pairs of changing points of said video or audio signals each correspond to a whole number multiple of a predetermined time interval.

45. The method according to claim 44 wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of changing points, which are consecutive in time, does not correspond to said natural number multiple of a predetermined time interval, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive changing points which adjacently precede or follow said first pair of changing points corresponds to said natural number multiple of a predetermined time interval, said skipping step includes skipping over program material which occurs during time intervals included in said sum.

46. The method according to claim 44, wherein said detector detects said changing points when said audio and video signals change coincidentally.

47. The method according to claim 44, wherein said changing points are points at which the audio signal level is lower than a predetermined level.

48. The method according to claim 44, wherein said changing points are points at which the audio signal level is approximately zero.

49. The method according to claim 44, wherein said changing points are points at which the video signal level changes substantially.

50. The method according to claim 44, wherein there is at least one changing point between said at least a pair of changing points.

51. The method according to claim 44, wherein said control unit controls said recording/reproducing device to reproduce portions of said program material at a standard reproduction speed, which portions are within time intervals between changing points of said audio or video signal that correspond to a predetermined time interval, and which portions occur alone.

52. A method for recording/reproducing an audio/visual signal, comprising:

detecting occurrence of predefined changing points in said audio/visual signal;

measuring time intervals between said changing points; and

suppressing said audio/visual signal during periods wherein consecutive measured time intervals between pairs of said changing points correspond to a natural number multiple of a predetermined time interval, for at least two consecutive pairs of changing points.

53. The method according to claim 52 wherein, when a particular time interval between a first pair of changing points, which are consecutive in time, does not correspond to said natural number multiple of a predetermined time interval, if a sum of said particular time interval and time intervals between one or more additional pairs of consecutive changing points which adjacently precede or follow said first pair of changing points corresponds to said natural number multiple of a predetermined time interval, said suppressing step includes suppressing program material which occurs during time intervals included in said sum.

54. The method according to claim 52, wherein said detector detects said changing points when said audio and video signals change coincidentally.

55. The method according to claim 52, wherein said changing points are points at which the audio signal level is lower than a predetermined level.

56. The method according to claim 52, wherein said changing points are points at which the audio signal level is approximately zero.

57. The method according to claim 52, wherein said changing points are points at which the video signal level changes substantially.

58. The method according to claim 52, wherein there is at least one changing point between said at least a pair of changing points.

59. The method according to claim 52, wherein said control unit controls said recording/reproducing device to reproduce portions of said program material at a standard reproduction speed, which portions are within time intervals between changing points of said audio or video signal that correspond to a predetermined time interval, and which portions occur alone.