Random access audio/video processor with compressed video resampling to allow higher bandwidth throughput

• US 6,092,119 A
• Filed: 06/16/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rossmere, David Lawrence, Carluci, John Bryan, Duffy, Robert William, Glenn, Robert Samuel Jr., Brown, William Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/876,780
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 709/247, 709/200, 709/201, 709/206, 345/328
• US Class Current: 709/247
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects

Abstract

A random access audio/video processor having multiple outputs is disclosed. The processor includes a main control unit with analog video and audio back panels, an analog input/output board, audio and video processing boards, video effects board, synchronization board, and a system board (containing the main CPU). The video processing board includes a compressor for compressing input video signals, and triple transfer buffers for intermediate storage of digital video path. The video processing board further includes decompression circuits coupled to each of two triple transfer buffers for decompressing compressed stored video, and providing the decompressed video channels to an effects board for the addition of special effects. The audio processing board contains processors for compression, decompression, and effects, as well as triple transfer buffers. The triple transfer buffers include present, past, and future buffers which jointly operate to minimize discontinuities in the output channels. The invention provides an E to C mode to allow the user to preview video which has been compressed and decompressed to verify that no unwanted system artifacts exist, or are created by the compression process. This previewing is done in real-time while the material is being compressed and stored. A user may also bypass the compression circuit and capture uncompressed still frames directly in the triple transfer buffer, and store the uncompressed still frames, thereby permitting the independent display of still and motion video in each output channel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing media data including video and/or audio data stored in a storage device, comprising:

transfer buffer structured and configured to include a present buffer, a future buffer and a past buffer for temporarily storing said media data transferred from said storage device;

memory controller coupled to said storage device and configured to control transfer of said media data between said storage device and said transfer buffer; and

media processor coupled to said transfer buffer and configured to receive and process media data stored in said transfer buffer, wherein said media processor and said transfer buffer are structured and configured such that media data may be transferred from the future buffer or the past buffer after media data has been transferred from the present buffer to the media processor.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein media data transferred from said storage device is stored in the transfer buffer such that said present transfer buffer is configured to store media data currently coupled to the media processor, said past transfer buffer is configured to stores media data preceding media data stored in said present transfer buffer, and said future transfer buffer is configured to store media data ahead of said media data stored in said present media transfer buffer.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the transfer buffer comprises one or more memory devices which are divided into three logical blocks respectively representing said present buffer, future buffer and present buffer, wherein the logical block from which media data is currently being retrieved is logically a current present buffer, the logical block having media data ahead of the media data in the present buffer in a first direction is logically a current future buffer, and the logical block having media data preceding the media data in the present buffer in a second direction is logically a current past buffer.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the transfer buffer is further structured and configured such that when video data in said current present buffer is being transferred out to the media processor in said first direction and the end of said current present buffer is reached, said current future buffer becomes a new future buffer, and said current present buffer becomes a new past buffer, and in reverse when video data in said current present buffer is being transferred out to the media processor in said second direction and the end of said current present buffer is reached, said current past buffer becomes a new present buffer, said current future buffer becomes a new past buffer and said current present buffer becomes a new future buffer.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said present buffer, future buffer and past buffer are provided in a first channel of the media processor, and wherein the transfer buffer further includes another set of present buffer, future buffer and past buffer provided in a second channel of the media processor.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the media processor comprises a video processor for processing video data coupled to the transfer buffer.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the video processor comprises a decompressor coupled to said transfer buffer for decompressing video data that have been compressed and stored in said transfer buffer.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the video processor further comprises a compressor for compressing video data prior to storing in the storage media.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a loop back means coupled to the compressor and decompressor, wherein the loop back means is structured and configured to transfer decompressed video data from the decompressor to the compressor for recompressing into a recompressed video data prior to storing in said storage device.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the compressor is structured and configured to compress video data at a predetermined compression ratio.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising an overlapping means for overlapping first and second sequences of video data, wherein at least one of said first and second sequences comprises said recompressed video data from the compressor.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said decompressor is coupled to the compressor such that compressed video data that is being stored in the storage device is decompressed by said decompressor, thereby providing for previewing of effects of compression by a user.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the video processor is configured to overlap at least one frame of each of first and second sequences of video data.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the media processor further comprises an audio processor for processing audio data coupled to said transfer buffer, wherein said transfer buffer comprises a first set of present buffer, future buffer and past buffer coupled to the audio processor for a first audio output channel and a separate second set of present buffer, future buffer and past buffer coupled to the audio processor for a second output channel.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein each of said first and second sets comprises duplicate sets of present buffer, future buffer and past buffer for two audio input channels.

16. A system for processing media data including video and/or audio data, comprising:

a storage device for storing media data;

a media processor for processing media data, comprising;

transfer buffer structured and configured to include a present buffer, a future buffer and a past buffer for temporarily storing said media data transferred from said storage device;

memory controller coupled to said storage device and configured to control the transfer of said media data between said storage device and said transfer buffer;

media processor coupled to said transfer buffer for receiving and processing media data stored in said transfer buffer, wherein said media processor and said transfer buffer are structured and configured such that media data may be transferred from the future buffer or the past buffer after media data has been transferred from the present buffer to the media processor;

user input coupled to the media processor and configured to provide instructions regarding the desired processing of media data; and

an output configured to render the result of the processed media data including audio and/or video outputs.

17. In an apparatus for processing media data including video and/or audio data stored in a storage device, a method for processing said media data comprising the steps of:

transferring media data from said storage device;

temporarily storing said media data in a transfer buffer structured and configured to include a present buffer, a future buffer and a past buffer;

controlling transfer of said media data between said storage device and said transfer buffer; and

receiving and processing media data stored in said transfer buffer, wherein said transfer buffer are structured and configured such that media data may be received from the future buffer or the past buffer after media data has been received from the present buffer.

18. An apparatus for processing video data, comprising:

compressor for compressing video data at a predetermined compression ratio;

transfer logic configured to transfer video data of a first video sequence and a second video sequence to the compressor;

a controller configured to control the compressor to compress video data of at least one frame of said first video sequence and video data of at least one frame of said second video sequence, said controller further configured to control the compressed video data of said at least one frame of said first video sequence to be overlapped with compressed video data of said at least one frame of said second video sequence.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to control the video such that said first and second video sequences are appended together to form a third video sequence.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the compressor compresses video data at a predetermined compression ratio.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, further comprising a decompressor that is configured to decompress compressed video data to provide said at least one frame of said first and second video sequences for recompression by said compressor.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said compressed video data is from compressed source video data.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the transfer logic comprises a transfer buffer configured to temporarily store at least one frame of one of said first and second video sequences prior to decompression by the decompressor.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the transfer buffer is structured and configured to include a present buffer, a future buffer and a past buffer.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein transfer logic comprises a transfer buffer for temporarily storing at least one frame of said first and second video sequences prior to decompression by the decompressor, wherein the buffer means is structured and configured to include two sets of buffers, corresponding to first and second channels for the first and second video sequences, respectively.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein the each set of buffers includes a present buffer, a future buffer and a past buffer.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, further comprising special effects generator coupled to receive the overlapping at least one frame of said first and second video sequences, said special effects generator configured to generate a special effect and applying said special effect to said overlapped at least one frame of said first and second video sequences.

28. A system for processing media data, comprising:

a video processor for processing video data, comprising;

compressor configured to compress video data at a predetermined compression ratio;

transfer logic configured to transfer video data of a first video sequence and a second video sequence to the compressor;

a controller configured to control the compressor to compress video data of at least one frame of said first video sequence and video data of at least one frame of said second video sequence, said controller further causing the overlap of compressed video data of said at least one frame of said first video sequence with compressed video data of said at least one frame of said second video sequence;

a storage device configured to store processed video data;

user input coupled to the media processor and configured to provide instructions regarding the desired processing of video data; and

an output configured to render the result of the processed video data.

29. In an apparatus for processing video data, a method comprising the steps of:

compressing video data at a predetermined compression ratio;

transferring video data of a first video sequence and a second video sequence to the compressor;

controlling the compressor to compress video data of at least one frame of said first video sequence and video data of at least one frame of said second video sequence; and

overlapping compressed video data of said at least one frame of said first video sequence with compressed video data of said at least one frame of said second video sequence.

30. An apparatus for processing video data of first and second video sequences, comprising:

video processor configured to receive and process said video data of said first and second media sequences, said video processor having first and second input channels; and

transfer logic coupled to said first and second input channels of said video processor and configured to transfer said first and second video sequences to said first and second input channels, respectively; and

said video processor comprising effects logic configured to process said video data of said first and second video sequences transferred to said first and second input channels to form a single third sequence of video data.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein the transfer logic comprises at least one buffer configured to temporarily store at least one frame of said first and second video sequences prior to transferring to the video processor for processing.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 31, wherein the buffer is structured and configured to include two sets of buffers, corresponding to the first and second input channels, respectively.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein the effects logic comprises a compressor configured to compress at least one frame of media data of each of said first and second video sequences and overlap logic for overlapping said compressed frames of media data.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein the effects logic further comprises decompressor configured to decompress at least one frame of media data of each of said first and second video sequences and providing the decompressed frames to the compressor for recompressing for further video processing.

35. A system for processing media data, comprising:

a video processor subsystem configured to process video data of first and second video sequences, comprising;

a video processor configured to receive and process video data of said first and second media sequences, said video processor having first and second input channels;

transfer logic coupled to said first and second input channels of said video processor and configured to transfer said first and second video sequences to said first and second input channels, respectively;

said video processor is configured to process said video data of said first and second video sequences transferred to said first and second input channels to form a single third sequence of video data; and

a storage device for storing said third sequence of video data;

a user controller coupled to the media processor and configured to provide instructions regarding desired processing of the media data; and

an output configured to render the result of said third sequence of video data.

36. In an apparatus for processing video data of first and second video sequences, a method comprising the steps of:

receiving and processing said video data of said first and second media sequences respectively through first and second input channels of a video processor; and

processing said video data of said first and second video sequences received through said first and second input channels to form a single third sequence of video data.

37. An apparatus for processing video data, comprising:

a compressor configured to receive and compress source video data at a predetermined compression ratio;

data storage configure to store the compressed video data; and

a monitor configured to monitor any effect of compression on said source video data that is being stored in said data storage means, said monitor comprising a decompressor coupled to said compressor and configured to decompress the compressed video data such that the decompressed video data may be viewed by a user.

38. A system for processing media data, comprising:

a video processor comprising;

a compressor for receiving and compressing source video data at a predetermined compression ratio;

data storage configured to store the compressed video data;

a monitor configured to monitor any effect of compression on said source video data that is being stored in the data storage, said monitor comprising a decompressor coupled to said compressor for decompressing the compressed video data such that the decompressed video data may be view by a user;

a user control input coupled to the media video processor and configured to provide instructions regarding the desired processing of the video data;

an output for rendering the result of the decompressed video data.

39. In an apparatus for processing video data, a method comprising the steps of:

receiving and compressing source video data at a predetermined compression ratio;

storing the compressed video data; and

decompressing the compressed video data that is being stored in said data storage mean;

monitoring the decompress video data for any effect of compression on said source video data.