Hierarchical processing apparatus and hierarchical processing method for video and audio data

• US 6,441,832 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Shigeki, Ueno, Shina, Komori, Yoko, Tao, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US08/978,846
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 345/328, 345/326, 345/327, 345/329, 345/333, 345/302, 345/716-723, 345/733, 345/835, 386/95, 386/109, 386/124, 348/8-9, 725/109-153, 725/37-61
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video 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

Abstract

A hierarchical processing apparatus and method for video and audio data for producing, modifying or deleting a playlist formed from information of reproduction times, channels and so forth of programs in the form of video and audio data is disclosed. The hierarchical processing apparatus includes an image of a first hierarchy for displaying a plurality of playlists formed from a plurality of clips which are video and audio data and additional information corresponding to the clips in a list and selecting one of the playlists to determine a playlist of an object of modification or a playlist of an object of deletion, and an image of a second hierarchy for selecting one of the plurality of clips and adding, to the selected clip, corresponding additional information to produce or modify the playlist. The image of the first hierarchy and the image of the second hierarchy allow transition therebetween in a series of operations. Further, they allow reproduction of the video and audio data of a clip included in the selected playlist at any time. Consequently, while a result of a work is confirmed, editing of a playlist can be performed, thereby improving the efficiency in editing.

Claims

1. A hierarchical processing apparatus for providing video and audio data to be output on a plurality of channels, comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of video and audio clips;

an image of a first hierarchy for displaying a plurality of playlists to be output on said plurality of channels, each of said playlists designating a plurality of clips, each of said clips including at least one designation of video data, audio data and additional identifying information to be displayed upon selection of one of said plurality of playlists, and for selecting one of the playlists to determine a playlist to be modified or deleted; and

an image of a second hierarchy, including additional identifying information for each of a plurality of clips in a selected playlist, allowing the selection of one of the identifying information for one of the plurality of clips and for modifying the selected additional identifying information to modify at least the selected playlist, or to produce a new playlist, at any time;

wherein

the image of the first hierarchy and the image of the second hierarchy allow transition there between and allow reproduction of the video and audio data of a clip included in the selected playlist from said storage device at any time, and

wherein each channel in said plurality of channels has a monitoring means to monitor the video and audio data output on said channel in accordance with a corresponding playlist, and said monitoring means can modify the video and audio data output on said channel.

2. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 1, wherein said hierarchical processing apparatus has a retrieving function of retrieving, when one of the clips is to be selected, a desired clip by inputting information for specifying the clip.

3. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 1, wherein the image of the first hierarchy and the image of the second hierarchy are graphical user interfaces.

4. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 3, wherein the image of the first hierarchy has a function of designating a sort key for determining an order in which the playlists are to be displayed in a list.

5. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 3, wherein, when video and audio data of a clip included in the selected playlist are reproduced, a mark is displayed which indicates which one of the plurality of clips included in the playlist is reproduced.

6. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 3, wherein, when a clip is to be selected from within a list of a plurality of clips formed from video and audio data, the clip is selected using a mouse.

7. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 3, wherein, when a clip is to be selected from within a list of a plurality of clips formed from video and audio data, a clip ID is inputted from a keyboard.

8. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 3, wherein, when a clip is to be selected from within a list of a plurality of clips formed from video and audio data, a method of selecting the clip using a mouse and another method of inputting a clip ID from a keyboard can be selected alternatively.

9. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of ones of the playlists can be selected and deleted at a time.

10. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 1, wherein a server in which the video and audio data of the clips are recorded is connected to said hierarchical processing apparatus and outputs the video and audio data of the clips based on the playlists.

11. A hierarchical processing apparatus for video and audio data according to claim 1, wherein each output is a broadcast channel.

14. A hierarchical processing method for video and audio data according to claim 11, wherein each output is a broadcast channel.

12. A hierarchical processing method for providing video data, audio data to be output on a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of video and audio clips in a storage device;

displaying a plurality of playlists designating a plurality of clips which are video and audio data and additional identifying information to be displayed upon selection of one of said plurality of playlists

selecting one of the playlists at any time;

determining that the selected playlist should be modified;

selecting one of the additional identifying information corresponding to one of the plurality of clips from said selected playlist;

modifying the selected additional identifying information to modify the selected playlist, to produce a new playlist, or else deleting the selected additional identifying information corresponding to one of said plurality of clips at any time;

reproducing the video and audio data of a clip designating in the playlist from said storage device when required; and

monitoring the video and audio data output in accordance with a corresponding playlist on each channel in said plurality of channels using a monitoring means, wherein said monitoring means can modify the video and audio data output on said channel.

13. A hierarchical processing method for video and audio data according to claim 12, wherein detailed contents of the playlist which is determined to be modified are displayed.