Multimedia playing apparatus utilizing synchronization of scenario-defined processing time points with playing of finite-time monomedia item

• US 6,487,564 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1996
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Minemura, Atsushi, Sato, Makoto, Oka, Toshio, Asai, Kayoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US08/677,752
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 395/806, 395/807, 395/773, 395/762, 345/302, 345/723, 707/500.1, 707/501.1, 707/513, 707/530
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A multimedia playing apparatus plays hypermedia titles each consisting of a plurality of monomedia objects including at least one finite time monomedia object such as a video object, which is formatted as a sequence of fixed-length playing sections such as video frames and functions as a base-axis object for providing a timing reference. The apparatus executes playing of a hypermedia title in accordance with processing time points specified as respective numbers of the playing sections, and stores and utilizes a plurality of sets of synchronization trigger data each of which designates that playing of a specific monomedia object other than the base-axis object is to be started, or is to be ended, at a specific processing time point, with the synchronization trigger data sets being successively accessed and used as the corresponding processing time points are respectively reached during playing of the hypermedia title.

Claims

1. The multimedia playing apparatus for playing a hypermedia title formed of a base-axis object and at least one non base-axis object, said base-axis object being a finite-time monomedia object having a playing duration which extends from start to end of a playing progression of said hyper media title, said base-axis object being configured as a plurality of sequential fixed-length playing sections, said multimedia playing apparatus comprising:

scenario data storage means for storing data of a scenario of said hypermedia title, said scenario including a plurality of sets of synchronization trigger data, each of said sets identifying a corresponding one of said non base-axis objects and specifying, for said corresponding non base-axis object, a processing time point during said playing progression at which a processing operation for starting playing of said non base-axis object or a processing operation for ending playing of said non base-axis object is to be executed, each of said processing time points being expressed as an integral number of said playing sections,

subject matter data storage means for storing respective subject matter data of said base-axis object and each of said non base-axis objects;

timer event generating means for periodically generating timer events;

base-axis object display means controllable for acquiring subject matter data of said base-axis object from said subject matter data storage means and utilizing said subject matter data to play said base-axis object continuously throughout said playing progression,

non base-axis object display means for playing said non base-axis objects;

internal data memory means;

processing event counter means;

playing progression counter means for counting successive ones of said playing sections during playing of said hypermedia title;

playing command input means, operable by a user for generating at least a “

play”

input command to designate that playing of said hypermedia title is to be started; and

overall control and synchronization processing means for

executing initial processing to set said apparatus in a condition of readiness for playing said hypermedia title, said initial processing comprising at least operations for acquiring said scenario data from said scenario data storage means, obtaining said sets of synchronization trigger data from said scenario data and storing said sets in sequentially numbered locations in said internal memory means,

for setting said processing event counter means and playing progression counter means to respective predetermined initial values, and

on completion of said initial processing, when input of said “

play”

input command occurs, executing operations for

controlling said base-axis object display means to begin to acquire said base-axis object subject matter data,

in response to occurrence of each of said timer events, obtaining respective current values of said playing sections count and processing event count, obtaining from said internal memory means a set of said synchronization trigger data having a storage location which corresponds to said processing event count value, judging whether said playing sections count value is greater than or equal to a processing time point value which is specified in said obtained set of synchronization trigger data, and, when said playing sections count value is judged to be greater than or equal to said specified processing time point value,

executing a processing operation which is specified ins aid synchronization trigger data set, for a non base-axis object which is identified in said synchronization trigger data set, and

incrementing said processing event counter means.

2. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said sets of synchronization trigger data may be assigned to a specific one of said processing time points, and wherein each of said synchronization trigger data sets includes storage location pointer information for defining a sequence in which said plurality of sets are to be successively read out from memory and processed when said specific processing time point is reached.

3. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said overall control and synchronization processing means comprises means functioning, when said obtained set of synchronization trigger data specifies for said corresponding non base-axis object that playing of said non base-axis object is to be started, to acquire a subject matter data set of said non base-axis object from said subject matter data storage means, to process said subject matter data set into a corresponding formed data set which is in accordance with said playing conditions specified in said scenario, and to supply said formed data set to said non base-axis object display means.

4. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising non base-axis object data memory means, and wherein said overall control and synchronization processing means further comprises:

means functioning, during execution of said initial processing operations, to acquire respective sets of subject matter data of each of said non base-axis objects from said subject matter data storage means, to convert each of said sets into respective corresponding sets of formed data which are in accordance with said playing conditions specified in said scenario, and to store said sets of formed data in said non base-axis object data memory means, and

means functioning during said playing progression, when said obtained set of synchronization trigger data specifies for said corresponding non base-axis object that playing of said non base-axis object is to be started, to acquire a formed data set corresponding to said non base-axis object from said non base-axis object data memory means and to supply said formed data set to said non base-axis display means.

5. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising title control command input means, operable by a user for generating a title control input command to specify that a current playing position of said hypermedia title is to be shifted to a new playing position in said playing progression, object presentation status management data memory means, and playing status restoration processing means, and wherein said overall control and synchronization processing means further comprises means functioning during execution of said initial processing operations to obtain said information specifying respective processing time points for starting and ending playing of each of said non base-axis objects, to generate corresponding object presentation status management data specifying, for each of respective sequentially numbered segments of said playing progression which are defined between successive pairs of said processing time points, each of said non base-axis objects which is to be played during said segment, and to store said object presentation status management data in said object presentation status management data memory means, and

wherein said playing status restoration processing means comprises means functioning, in response to designation of a shift to a new playing position by a title control input command, to control said non base-axis object display means to terminate playing of all non base-axis objects which are currently being played by said second display means, to obtain the number of a segment which contains said new playing position, to obtain from said object presentation status management data memory means said object presentation status management data corresponding to said segment, to read out from said non base-axis object data memory means respective sets of said formed data of non base-axis objects which are specified for said segment in said object presentation status management data and to supply said non base-axis object formed data to said non base-axis object display means.

6. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising object control means, and object control command input means operable by a user for generating an object control command to designate for at least one of said non base-axis objects that said non base-axis object is to be played in accordance with a user-mediated play condition which is different from a play condition specified for said non base-axis object in said scenario, and wherein said overall control and synchronization processing means further comprises means, functioning during execution of said initial processing operations, to modify said formed data set of said non base-axis object to obtain a modified formed data set which is in accordance with said user-mediated play condition, and to store said modified formed data set in said internal data memory means, and

wherein said object control means functions during playing of said hypermedia title, in response to input of said object control command, to control said non base-axis object display means to terminate playing of said non base-axis object and to acquire said modified formed data set from said internal data memory means and supply said modified formed data set to said non base-axis object display means, for thereby playing said non base-axis object in accordance with said user-mediated play condition.

7. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said scenario includes information relating to at least one external application program having functions which are not related to the playing of a hypermedia title, said apparatus further comprising external application program activation command input means operable by a user for generating an external application program activation input command, external application program activation means controllable for activating the execution of said external application program, and external application program data memory means, said overall control and synchronization processing means further comprising means functioning during execution of said initial processing operations to generate external application program control data which are necessary for activating said external application program and to store said external application program control data in said external application program data memory means, and

wherein said external application program activation means is responsive to generation of said external application program activation input command, during playing of said hypermedia title, for acquiring said external application program control data from said external application program data memory means and supplying said external application program control data to said external application program activation means, and wherein said external application program activation means utilizes said external application program control data to activate said external application program.

8. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said base-axis object subject matter data are cyclically acquired by said base-axis object display means from said subject matter data storage means as successive fixed-size data blocks having a first value of data block size, with a fixed cycle time, and wherein said overall control and synchronization processing means acquires and supplies said non base-axis object subject matter data as successive fixed-size data blocks, with said cycle time, said blocks having a second value of size which is predetermined based on said cycle time and said first value of size, said apparatus further comprising:

non base-axis object data memory means,

data block acquisition information memory means having stored therein said cycle time and said second data block size value,

object data acquisition time calculation means functioning during said initial processing to calculate, for each of said non base-axis objects, a duration of acqusition time required to acquire said subject matter data of said each non base-axis object from said subject matter data storage means, and

sequential data acquisition schedule management means for determining, based on said acquisition time durations, respective data acquisition starting time points for sequential acquisition of subject matter data of respective ones of said non base-axis objects are to begin, with at least one of said data acquisition starting time points being determined such that at least a part of said subject matter data of a corresponding non base-axis object is specified to be acquired during said playing progression of said- hypermedia title,

said overall control and synchronization processing means comprising means functioning during said initial processing to create, in correspondence with each of said data acquisition starting time points which is a positive value, an additional synchronization trigger data set which specifies as processing contents thereof that data acquisition for said corresponding non base-axis object is to commence at said data acquisition starting time point, and to store said additional synchronization trigger data sets in said internal memory means, to acquire from said subject matter data storage means respective subject matter data sets for each of said non base-axis objects corresponding to a data acquisition starting time point which is a negative value, convert each of said subject matter data sets into a corresponding set of formed data which are in accordance with said playing conditions specified in said scenario, and to store said sets of formed data in said non base-axis object data memory means,

said overall control and synchronization processing means further comprising

means functioning during said playing progression, when said obtained set of synchronization trigger data specifies for said corresponding non base-axis object that playing of said non base-axis object is to be started, to acquire a formed data set corresponding to said non base-axis object from said non base-axis object data memory means and to supply said formed data set to said non base-axis display means, and

means functioning during said playing progression, when a processing operation is executed to end playing of a non base-axis object, to delete all data relating to said object from said non base-axis object data memory means.

9. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said acquisition of respective subject matter data sets for each of said non base-axis objects corresponding to a data acquisition starting time point which is a negative value is executed by continuous data acquisition from said subject matter data storage means.

10. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said acquisition of respective subject matter data sets for each of said non base-axis objects corresponding to a data acquisition starting time point which is a negative value is executed by cyclic acquisition of said subject matter data set from said subject matter data storage means, as sequential data blocks having said second fixed size, with said cycle time.

11. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said sequential data acquisition schedule management means comprises means functioning, for each of said non base-axis objects corresponding to a data acquisition starting time point which is a negative number, to divide said subject matter data set of said non base-axis object into an initial processing data acquisition portion and a playing progression data acquisition portion each comprising an integral number of said data blocks of the second size value, and, when said playing progression data acquisition portion has other than zero magnitude, to acquire from said subject matter data storage means said initial processing data acquisition portion and store said portion in said non base-axis object data memory means, and wherein said overall control and synchronization processing means comprises means for creating an additional synchronization trigger data set which specifies that acquisition of said playing progression data acquisition portion from said subject matter data storage means is to be commenced at the starting point of said playing progression, and for storing said additional synchronization trigger data set in said internal memory means.

12. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data block acquisition information memory means has stored therein a plurality of pairs of values, each pair being a combination of a cycle time value and second data block size value which have been predetermined in accordance with a specific value of bandwidth of a data communication path between said subject matter data storage means and said base-axis object display means.

13. The multimedia playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said base-axis object is a video object, and wherein said playing sections are respective frames of