Controlling audio and/or video replay

• US 6,342,902 B1
• Filed: 04/09/1997
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Harradine, Vincent Carl, McGrath, Mark John
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/831,614
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 345/328, 345/159, 345/704, 345/723, 345/724, 345/725, 345/726, 345/727, 345/728, 345/729, 345/730, 345/731, 345/732, 345/784, 345/785, 345/786, 345/787, 345/716, 345/720
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus for controlling replay of video and/or audio material comprises cursor control means for providing user control of a cursor on the display screen; selection control means for selecting an operation to be performed by the apparatus in dependence on the current position of the cursor on the display screen when the selection control means is activated by the user; means for defining a shuttle control display screen area for use in controlling shuttle replay operation; means for detecting an initial activation of the selection control means while the cursor is at an initial activation point within the shuttle control display screen area; and means, responsive to the detecting means, for controlling shuttle replay of the recorded material at a shuttle speed dependent on a current displacement on the display screen of the cursor from the initial activation point while the selection control means remains continuously activated after the initial activation.

Claims

1. Apparatus for controlling replay of video and/or audio material, said apparatus comprising:

a cursor controller for providing user control of a cursor on the display screen;

a selection controller for selecting an operation to be performed by said apparatus in dependence on a CulTent position of said cursor on said display screen when said selection controller is activated by said user;

means for defining a shuttle control display screen area for use in controlling shuttle replay operation;

a detector for detecting an initial activation of said selection controller while the cursor is at an initial activation point within said shuttle control display screen area; and

a shuttle controller, responsive to said detector, for controlling shuttle replay of recorded material at a shuttle speed dependent on a displacement on said display screen of said cursor from said initial activation point while said selection controller remains continuously activated after said initial activation, said cursor controller providing said displacement of said cursor on said display screen in a direction of 360 degrees with respect to said initial activation point;

wherein said shuttle controller is operable to vary the shuttle speed as an exponentially rising function of said cursor displacement from said initial activation point.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

another detector for detecting a component of the cursor displacement along a predetermined direction; and

a direction controller for controlling the direction of shuttle operation in dependence on said detected displacement component.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a speed controller for controlling the speed of shuttle operation in dependence on said detected displacement component.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which said predetermined direction is a horizontal screen direction.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said material to be replayed comprises video material.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, comprising means for defining a viewer area on said display screen for displaying replayed video material.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which said shuttle control display screen area and said viewer display screen area substantially fully overlap one another.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said shuttle controller is responsive to a maximum shuttle speed of a replay apparatus to be controlled, so that the maximum shuttle speed of that replay apparatus is obtained by a cursor displacement of a predetermined distance on the screen.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which:

said cursor controller comprises a mouse, trackerball or joystick; and

said selection controller comprises a mouse button, a trackerball button or a joystick button respectively.

10. Audio and/or video replay apparatus comprising:

an audio and/or video storage device;

a cursor controller for providing user control of a cursor on the display screen;

a selection controller for selecting an operation to be performed by said apparatus in dependence on a current position of said cursor on said display screen when said selection controller is activated by said user;

means for defining a shuttle control display screen area for use in controlling shuttle replay operation;

a detector for detecting an initial activation of said selection controller while the cursor is at an initial activation point within said shuttle control display screen area; and

a shuttle controller, responsive to said detector, for controlling shuttle replay of recorded material at a shuttle speed dependent on a displacement on said display screen of said cursor from said initial activation point while said selection controller remains continuously activated after said initial activation, said cursor controller providing said displacement of said cursor on said display screen in a direction of 360 degrees with respect to said initial activation point;

wherein said shuttle controller is operable to vary the shuttle speed as an exponentially rising function of said cursor displacement from said initial activation point.

11. A method of controlling replay of video and/or audio material, for use with an apparatus comprising a cursor controller for providing user control of a cursor on said display screen;

and a selection controller for selecting an operation to be performed by said apparatus in dependence on a current position of said cursor on said display screen when said selection controller is activated by the user;

said method comprising;

defining a shuttle control display screen area for use in controlling shuttle replay operation;

detecting an initial activation of said selection controller while said cursor is at an initial activation point within said shuttle control display screen area; and

controlling shuttle replay of the recorded material at a shuttle speed dependent on a displacement on said display screen of said cursor from said initial activation point while said selection controller remains continuously activated after said initial activation, with the shuttle speed being varied as an exponentially rising function of said cursor displacement from said initial activation point, and said displacement of said cursor on said display screen is provided by said cursor controller in a direction of 360 degrees with respect to said initial activation point.