Video access method and video access apparatus

• US 7,515,810 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Miyatake, Takafumi, Nagasaka, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier; Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/221,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/52, 386/68, 386/69, 386/125, 386/124
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• 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 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A video picture access system and computer implemented program in which a command is inputted, a list of time-serial representative images of scenes included in a video picture is displayed, and the list is scrolled by displaying a new representative image instead of the representative image of the representative image already displayed earlier when a total number of the time-serial representative images exceed a maximum number of representative images which can be displayed on a display screen. The representative image which is newly added for display is a representative image of a scene distanced for a given time in conformance to the command which is inputted.

Claims

1. A video picture access system, comprising:

means for inputting a command;

means for displaying a list of time-serial representative images of scenes included in a video picture; and

means for scrolling the list by displaying a new representative image instead of the representative image of the representative image already displayed earlier when a total number of the time-serial representative images exceed a maximum number of representative images which can be displayed on a display screen;

wherein the representative image added newly for display is a representative image of a scene distanced for a given time in conformance to the command inputted via the inputting means.

2. A video picture access system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for reproducing the video picture by gradually extending the area of a selected representative image stepwise from a displayed position until the selected representative image has occupied the whole area of the display screen when one of the representative image is selected by the user.

3. A video picture access system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for searching a scene which is the same as or similar to the scene corresponding to the selected representative image when one of the representative images is selected by the user; and

means for updating the representative image list with a representative image list containing at least one representative image of the searched scene.

4. A video picture access system according to claim 1, wherein the input means is a jog-and-shuttle manipulator and the command is effectuated in terms of a rotation of a dial of the jog-and-shuttle manipulator.

5. A video picture access system according to claim 4, further comprising:

means for displaying a disk-like image on the screen as the jog-and-shuttle manipulator implemented in the form of a touch panel;

wherein a jog-and-shuttle function is realized by touching the disk-like image and moving rotationally the disk-like image by tracing it with a finger.

6. A video picture access system according to claim 1, wherein the command is effectuated in terms of a time duration for which the inputting means is continuously actuated.

7. A video picture access system according to claim 3, a scene which is located temporally closest to the selected scene is searched as the scene similar to the scene corresponding to the selected representative image.