Recording/reproducing apparatus and method

• US 6,377,745 B2
• Filed: 02/09/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohta, Masashi, Suito, Taro, Akiba, Toshiya
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/020,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/68, 386/83, 386/95, 386/96, 386/111, 386/112, 386/125, 386/102, 386/126, 348/906, 348/565
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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 27/327 Table of contents
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Images of reproduced video data of plural channels are displayed on main small screens arrayed in a central horizontal row on an index picture. Time-serially anterior images of reproduced video data are displayed on two upper small screens above the main small screens, while time-serially posterior images of reproduced video data are displayed on two lower small screens below the main small screens. In a forward reproduction mode, the images displayed on the respective small screens are altered, with a lapse of time, to the lower adjacent images while being cross faded. And in a reverse reproduction mode, the images are altered, with a lapse of time, to the upper adjacent images while being cross faded. A normal reproducing operation is started from a desired image when the main small screen, where the desired image is being displayed, is selected by means of a cursor. Thus, any image of video data can be indexed efficiently.

Claims

1. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising:

read means for reading out the video data;

designation means for selectively designating a reproduction speed;

control means for controlling, in accordance with the reproduction speed designated by said designation means, the interval at which said read means reads out the video data; and

a plurality of storage buffers for storing reduced size image data generated by dimensionally reducing images included in said video data, said buffers respectively corresponding to a plurality of video data channels;

whereby images corresponding to at least two of said plurality of video data channels have been recorded at the same time, and respective reduced size image data corresponding to said at least two channels are simultaneously displayed.

2. The recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising reduced display control means for executing, on a predetermined screen, simultaneous time-series display of reduced images obtained by dimensionally reducing the images which correspond to a predetermined number of video data read out by said read means.

3. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising:

read means for reading out the video data successively at a predetermined interval;

a plurality of storage buffers for storing reduced size image data generated by dimensionally reducing images included in said video data, said buffers respectively corresponding to a plurality of video data channels;

reduced display control means for executing, on a predetermined screen, simultaneous time-series display of reduced images obtained from said reduced size image data; and

alteration means for gradually altering, in a forward reproduction mode, each reduced image to the time-serially posterior reduced image, or gradually altering, in a reverse reproduction mode, each reduced image to the time-serially anterior reduced image;

whereby images corresponding to at least two of said plurality of video data channels have been recorded at the same time, and respective reduced size image data corresponding to said at least two channels are simultaneously displayed.

4. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising:

designation means for selectively designating a reproduction speed;

first read means for successively reading out the video data at a predetermined read interval;

decision means for deciding, in accordance with the reproduction speed designated by said designation means, the interval at which said first read means reads out the video data;

second read means for reading out incidental data indicative of the kind of the video data;

change means for changing the video-data reading interval of said first read means on the basis of the incidental data read out by said second read means and the reading interval corresponding to the reproduction speed decided by said decision means; and

a plurality of storage buffers for storing reduced size image data generated by dimensionally reducing images included in said video data, said buffers respectively corresponding to a plurality of video data channels;

whereby images corresponding to at least two of said plurality of video data channels have been recorded at the same time, and respective reduced size image data corresponding to said at least two channels are simultaneously displayed.

5. A recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the video data of a predetermined kind are continuous for a predetermined period of time, the video data are read out at the interval decided by said decision means.

6. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing video data of a plurality of channels in or from a recording medium, comprising:

read means for reading out, at a predetermined interval, the video data recorded in a recording medium;

reduction means for dimensionally reducing images corresponding to the video data read out by said read means;

display control means for displaying the reduced images, which are obtained from said reduction means, on a plurality of small screens set on a predetermined screen; and

a plurality of storage buffers for storing reduced size image data defining said reduced images, said buffers respectively corresponding to a plurality of video data channels;

wherein, when the data corresponding to the next reduced images to be displayed on the relevant small screens are stored in said buffers, said display control means displays the reduced images, which correspond to the data stored in said buffers and are to be displayed next, on the relevant small screens respectively;

whereby images corresponding to at least two of said plurality of video data channels have been recorded at the same time, and respective reduced size image data corresponding to said at least two channels are simultaneously displayed.

7. The recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said storage buffers are ring buffers.

8. A recording/reproducing method for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising the steps of:

reading out the video data;

designating a data reproduction speed selectively;

controlling the video data reading interval in accordance with the designated reproduction speed; and

storing in a plurality of storage buffers reduced size image data generated by dimensionally reducing images included in said video data, said buffers respectively corresponding to a plurality of video data channels;

whereby images corresponding to at least two of said plurality of video data channels have been recorded at the same time, and respective reduced size image data corresponding to said at least two channels are simultaneously displayed.

9. A recording/reproducing method for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising the steps of:

reading out the video data successively at a predetermined interval;

storing in a plurality of storage buffers reduced size image data generated by dimensionally reducing images included in said video data, said buffers respectively corresponding to a plurality of video data channels

executing, on a predetermined screen, simultaneous time-series display of reduced images obtained from said reduced size image data; and

gradually altering, in a forward reproduction mode, each reduced image to the time-serially posterior reduced image, or gradually altering, in a reverse reproduction mode, each reduced image to the time-serially anterior reduced image;

whereby images corresponding to at least two of said plurality of video data channels have been recorded at the same time, and respective reduced size image data corresponding to said at least two channels are simultaneously displayed.

10. A recording/reproducing method for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising the steps of:

designating a reproduction speed selectively;

reading out the video data successively at a predetermined read interval;

deciding the video data reading interval in accordance with the designated reproduction speed;

reading out incidental data indicative of the kind of the video data; and

changing the video data reading interval on the basis of the incidental data thus read out and the reading interval corresponding to the decided reproduction speed; and

storing in a plurality of storage buffers reduced size image data generated by dimensionally reducing images included in said video data, said buffers respectively corresponding to a plurality of video data channels;

whereby images corresponding to at least two of said plurality of video data channels have been recorded at the same time, and respective reduced size image data corresponding to said at least two channels are simultaneously displayed.

11. A recording/reproducing method for recording and/or reproducing video data of a plurality of channels in or from a recording medium, comprising the steps of:

reading out, at a predetermined interval, the video data recorded in the recording medium;

dimensionally reducing the images corresponding to the video data thus read out;

displaying the reduced images on a plurality of small screens set on a predetermined screen;

storing in a plurality of storage buffers reduced size image data defining said reduced images, said buffers respectively corresponding to a plurality of video data channels; and

when the data corresponding to the next reduced images to be displayed on the relevant small screens are stored, displaying the reduced images, which correspond to the stored data to be displayed next, on the relevant small screens respectively;

whereby images corresponding to at least two of said plurality of video data channels have been recorded at the same time, and respective reduced size image data corresponding to said at least two channels are simultaneously displayed.