Apparatus and methods for multiplexing, recording and controlling the display of image data, and recording medium therefor

• US 6,535,688 B1
• Filed: 08/01/1996
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yagasaki, Yoichi, Kawamura, Makoto, Fujinami, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/692,276
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• Field of Search: 386/95, 386/109, 386/111, 386/112, 386/46, 386/123, 386/27, 386/33, 386/37, 386/98, 348/445, 348/556, 348/558, 348/913, 348/222, 348/239
• US Class Current: 386/240
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440272 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/877 by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate memory

Abstract

Digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with the MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio is multiplexed with correction data provided as PSM data for correcting the aspect ratio of such digital image data in the letterbox mode, squeeze mode or the like. The PSM data is detected from the bit stream by a PSM detector and a control signal is generated in response to the detected PSM data for controlling filters of a display so that the latter displays an image in the correct state.

Claims

1. An image data providing apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with an MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data.

2. An image data providing apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with an MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to include intraframe-coded (I) pictures, interframe forward-predictive-coded (P) pictures and interframe bidirectionally-predictive-coded (B) pictures.

3. An image data providing apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with an MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to have a user data region immediately prior to a sequence header.

4. An image data providing apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with an MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to be comprised of groups of pictures each having an associated group-of-pictures header which is immediately preceded by a user data region.

5. An image data providing apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with an MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to include successive pictures having a picture header preceded by a user data region.

6. An image data providing apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with an MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data. indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said identification data is data indicating that the mode in which said aspect ratio of the digital image data has been corrected is a squeeze mode or a letterbox mode.

7. An image data providing method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as table of contents (TOC) data to the multiplexed data.

8. An image data providing method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as table of contents (TOC) data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to include intraframe-coded (I) pictures, interframe forward-predictive-coded (P) pictures and interframe bidirectionally-predictive-coded (B) pictures.

9. An image data providing method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as table of contents (TOC) data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to have a user data region immediately prior to a sequence header.

10. An image data providing method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as table of contents (TOC) data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to be comprised of groups of pictures each having an associated group-of-pictures header which is immediately preceded by a user data region.

11. An image data providing method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as table of contents (TOC) data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to include successive pictures having a picture header preceded by a user data region.

12. An image data providing method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as table of contents (TOC) data to the multiplexed data;

wherein said digital aspect ratio identification data is data indicating that the mode in which said aspect ratio of the digital image data has been corrected is a squeeze mode or a letterbox mode.

13. An image data recording apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording means for recording the added data on a recording medium.

14. An image data recording apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording means for recording the added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to include intraframe-coded (I) pictures, interframe forward-predictive-coded (P) pictures and interframe bidirectionally-predictive-coded (B) pictures.

15. An image data recording apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording means for recording the added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to have a user data region immediately prior to a sequencing header.

16. An image data recording apparatus comprising

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording means for recording the added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to be comprised of groups of pictures each having an associated group-of-pictures header which is immediately preceded by a user data region.

17. An image data recording apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording means for recording the added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to include successive pictures having a picture header preceded by a user data region.

18. An image data recording apparatus comprising:

means for supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and corrected for aspect ratio and for supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

means for generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and for generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

means for combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing means for multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

table of contents (TOC) adder means for adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording means for recording the added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system.

19. An image data recording method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data; and

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording said added data on a recording medium.

20. An image data recording method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording said added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to include intraframe-coded (I) pictures, interframe forward-predictive-coded (P) pictures and interframe bidirectionally-predictive-coded (B) pictures.

21. An image data recording method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording said added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to have a user data region immediately prior to a sequence header.

22. An image data recording method comprising the steps of:

supplying, digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording said added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to be comprised of groups of pictures each having an associated group-of-pictures header which is immediately preceded by a user data region.

23. An image data recording method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording said added data on a recording medium;

wherein said digital image data is compressed in accordance with the MPEG system so as to include successive pictures having a picture header preceded by a user data region.

24. An image data recording method comprising the steps of:

supplying digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and supplying digital audio data and subtitle data;

generating subtitle information data in accordance with said subtitle data and generating digital aspect ratio identification data indicative of the correction of the aspect ratio of said digital image data;

combining the digital image data and said subtitle information data so as to generate combined digital image data;

multiplexing said combined digital image data and said digital audio data;

adding said digital aspect ratio identification data and image display format data as TOC data to the multiplexed data to form added data; and

recording said added data on a recording medium;

wherein said identification data is data indicating that the mode in which said aspect ratio of the digital image data has been corrected is a squeeze mode or a letterbox mode.

25. An apparatus for controlling displaying of an image, comprising:

means for supplying added data having digital aspect ratio identification data as table of contents (TOC) data and multiplexed data containing combined digital image data formed by combining according to image display format data subtitle information data and digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and digital audio data;

means for separating said digital image data, said subtitle information data, said digital audio data, and said digital aspect ratio identification data from said added data;

encoder means for encoding said digital image data separated from said added data to an analog video signal and for inserting aspect ratio identification data on a predetermined line of said analog video signal; and

means for controlling the aspect ratio of said image corresponding to the separated digital image data, as displayed by display means, in accordance with said digital aspect ratio identification data separated from said added data.

26. An apparatus for displaying an image according to claim 25, further comprising:

means for processing the separated digital image data in at least one of the horizontal and vertical directions of said display means; and

wherein

said means for controlling controls said means for processing according to said digital aspect ratio identification data separated from said multiplexed data.

27. An image control method comprising the steps of:

supplying added data having digital aspect ratio identification data as table of contents (TOC) data and multiplexed data containing combined digital image data formed by combining according to image display format data subtitle information data and digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and digital audio data;

separating said digital image data, said subtitle information data, said digital audio data, and said digital aspect ratio identification data from said added data;

encoding said digital image data separated from said added data to an analog video signal and inserting aspect ratio identification data on a predetermined line of said analog video signal; and

controlling the aspect ratio of said image corresponding to the separated digital image data, as displayed by display means, in accordance with said digital aspect ratio identification data separated from said added data.

28. An image display control method according to claim 27, further comprising:

processing the separated digital image data in at least one of the horizontal and vertical directions of the displayed image; and

wherein said controlling of the aspect ratio is effected by control of said processing in accordance with said digital aspect ratio identification data separated from said multiplexed data.

29. An apparatus for controlling displaying of an image, comprising:

means for supplying added data having digital aspect ratio identification data as table of contents (TOC) data and multiplexed data containing combined digital image data formed by combining according to image display format data subtitle information data and digital image data which has been compressed in accordance with a MPEG system and which has been corrected for aspect ratio and digital audio data;

means for separating said digital image data, said subtitle information data, said digital audio data, and said digital aspect ratio identification data from said added data;

means for converting said digital image data separated from said added data into an image signal;

encoder means supplied with said image signal for encoding an image corresponding to said image signal to an analog video signal and for inserting aspect ratio identification data on a predetermined line of said analog video signal;

means for generating a correction signal corresponding to said digital aspect ratio identification data separated from said added data; and

means for superimposing said correction signal on said image signal supplied to display means so that the latter correspondingly determines a desired aspect ratio of the displayed image.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising:

means for processing the separated digital image data in at least one of the horizontal and vertical directions of said display means;

controlling means having different states for controlling said means for processing according to said digital aspect ratio indentification data separated from said multiplexed data; and

conversion means which converts said correction signal according to the state of control of said controlling means.