Video replay automation with manual control track editing

• US 6,236,801 B1
• Filed: 01/07/1998
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Engle, Joseph Craig, Metcalfe, Robert Harold, Herzberg, Jesse Edward, Kim, Sung Jo, Platte, Hans-Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boccio, Vincent F.
• Application Number:
  US08/983,129
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.593, 386/68, 386/46, 386/94-95, 386/80, 386/57, 386/52, 386/81, 358/908, 345/328, 345/327
• US Class Current: 386/282
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/026 by using processor, e.g. microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/087 by sensing recorded signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/1816 Programmed access in sequence to indexed parts of operating tapes cooperating with rotating heads see provisional also G11B15/005
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/1875 adaptations for special effects or editing signal processing or indexing therefor G11B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6656 using two-sided extraction, i.e. "M-type"
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/91 Helical scan format, wherein tracks are slightly tilted with respect to tape direction, e.g. VHS, DAT, DVC, AIT or exabyte
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/007 reproducing continuously a part of the information, i.e. repeating
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• 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: 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8715 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal

Abstract

A video recording and playback device has a control track recorder for recording a control track signal including timing edges recorded on a tape or other storage medium together with the video program. A decoder is coupled to the control track signal and to the tape drive for switching among a forward play mode, a forward skip mode and a rewind mode, as a function of play, skip and rewind codes inserted into the control track as phase variations of edges other than those used for timing, or preferably as pulses with sloping edges distinct from the timing edges. In addition to selectively skipping sections of the video program preceded by a skip code and followed by a play code, such as commercial breaks, the device permits user editing of play and skip codes and selective multiple replays of sections of the video program preceded by a play code and followed by a rewind code. Replay can be continuous or for a predetermined number of replays, encoded in the control track signal with the play, skip or rewind codes. The play, skip and rewind codes and/or the number of play repetitions are user editable from an on screen menu for changing the content to be presented during a later playback.

Claims

1. A video recording and playback apparatus, comprising:

a video recorder including a drive and first transducer for recording and reproducing a video program recorded in at least one helically scanned track on a storage medium;

a control track signal recorder and second transducer for recording a control track signal in a longitudinal track on the storage medium separate from said helically scanned track, said control track signal including control codes for said apparatus;

a decoder responsive to the control track signal during playback of the video program, the decoder being coupled to the drive for switching the apparatus between a forward play mode and a forward skip mode, as a function of respective skip and play control codes in the control track signal, for selectively skipping sections of the video program preceded by a skip code and followed by a play code;

editing means operable upon playback of the video program having a reviewing mode for reviewing the video program either with or without control by said control codes and an editing mode for said control codes; and

,

an on-screen slay menu generator coupled to the editing means for generating an on-screen display for user control of said program reviewing and said control code editing modes.

2. The video recording and playback apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control track signal recorder is operable under user control for generating a plurality of control mode signals for initiating one of a forward skip mode, a reverse wind mode and a play mode.

3. The video recording and playback apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control track signal recorder is operable for inserting or deleting ones of the plurality of control mode signals on the control track.

4. The video recording and playback apparatus of claim 2, wherein the editing means is operable under user control to encode a selected number of said repeats in the control track, and wherein the decoder is operable to ignore the rewind mode signal when said selected number of repeats has been completed.

5. The video recording and playback apparatus of claim 4, wherein the selected number is encoded on the control track with at least one of the play code and the rewind code.

6. The video recording and playback apparatus of claim 4, wherein the user operable editing means is further operable to insert a rewind mode signal in the control track, and wherein the decoder is operable upon detecting the rewind mode signal to reverse the storage medium at the rewind mode signal and switch the storage medium into a play mode at a next previous play mode signal such that the medium repeats the video program recording between the play mode signal and the rewind mode signal at least once during replay.

7. The video recording and playback apparatus of claim 2, wherein the play, skip and rewind codes in the control mode signals, are represented by a plurality of bits contained in a digital bit stream, and wherein the predetermined number is encoded in the digital bitstream with said plurality of bits.

8. The video recording and playback apparatus of claim 1, wherein the editing means further comprising a controller and on-screen status display, operable responsive to user input for controlling said drive for transporting the storage medium a predetermined distance for inserting or deleting a control mode signal in advance of a predetermined recorded segment.