Video-signal recording and playback apparatus, video-signal recording and playback method, and recording medium

• US 7,164,846 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2001
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohta, Masashi, Hamada, Toshimichi, Suito, Taro, Chotoku, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/903,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/83, 386/95, 386/111, 386/120, 386/121, 348/569
• US Class Current: 386/253
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/743 a collection of video files or sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/745 the internal structure of a single video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/785 using colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• 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 27/326 used signal is a video-frame or a video-field (P.I.P.)
• 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 11/20 Conversion of the manner in which the individual colour picture signal components are combined, e.g. conversion of colour television standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 : comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/147 : Scene change detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• 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 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

Disclosed is a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, the video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising: extracting means for extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing; judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by the extracting means can be used as a representative picture; and setting means for setting the static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed by the judgment means.

Claims

1. A video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising:

extracting means for extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting means can be used as a representative picture; and

setting means for setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed by said judgment means, wherein said judgment means is capable of forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting means can be used as a representative picture on the basis of whether or not said static picture is a part of a commercial.

2. A video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising:

extracting means for extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting means can be used as a representative picture; and

setting means for setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed by said judgment means, wherein said judgment means is capable of forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting means can be used as a representative picture on the basis of whether a histogram distribution of said static picture exceeds a predetermined threshold.

3. A video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising:

extracting means for extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting means can be used as a representative picture; and

setting means for setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed by said judgment means, wherein said judgment means is capable of forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting means can be used as a representative picture on the basis of an edge of said static picture.

4. A video-signal recording and playback method adopted in a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback method comprising:

an extracting step of extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not said static picture extracted at said extracting step can be used as a representative picture based on whether or not said static picture is a part of a commercial; and

a setting step of setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed at said judgment step.

5. A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for controlling a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, which when executed by a computer programmed with the instructions, causes the computer to perform the following steps:

an extracting step of extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not said static picture extracted at said extracting step can be used as a representative picture based on whether or not said static picture is a part of a commercial; and

a setting step of setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed at said judgment step.

6. A video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising:

an extracting mechanism configured to extract a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment mechanism configured to form a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted by said extracting mechanism can be used as a representative picture; and

a setting mechanism configured to set said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed by said judgment mechanism, wherein said judgment mechanism is capable of forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting mechanism can be used as a representative picture on the basis of whether or not said static picture is a part of a commercial.

7. A video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising:

an extracting mechanism configured to extract a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment mechanism configured to form a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted by said extracting mechanism can be used as a representative picture; and

a setting mechanism configured to set said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed by said judgment mechanism, wherein said judgment mechanism is capable of forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting mechanism can be used as a representative picture on the basis of whether a histogram distribution of said static picture exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. A video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising:

an extracting mechanism configured to extract a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment mechanism configured to form a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted by said extracting mechanism can be used as a representative picture; and

a setting mechanism configured to set said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed by said judgment mechanism, wherein said judgment mechanism is capable of forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by said extracting mechanism can be used as a representative picture on the basis of an edge of said static picture.

9. A video-signal recording and playback method adopted in a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback method comprising:

an extracting step of extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not said static picture extracted at said extracting step can be used as a representative picture on the basis of whether a histogram distribution of said static picture exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

a setting step of setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed at said judgment step.

10. A video-signal recording and playback method adopted in a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, said video-signal recording and playback method comprising:

an extracting step of extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not said static picture extracted at said extracting step can be used as a representative picture on the basis of an edge of said static picture; and

a setting step of setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed at said judgment step.

11. A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for controlling a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, which when executed by a computer programmed with the instructions, causes the computer to perform the following steps:

an extracting step of extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not said static picture extracted at said extracting step can be used as a representative picture on the basis of whether a histogram distribution of said static picture exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

a setting step of setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed at said judgment step.

12. A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for controlling a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, which when executed by a computer programmed with the instructions, causes the computer to perform the following steps:

an extracting step of extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not said static picture extracted at said extracting step can be used as a representative picture on the basis of an edge of said static picture; and

a setting step of setting said static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed at said judgment step.