Time shift reproduction method and device and bookmark being used in same

• US 7,546,022 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sawada, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOPGYAL, GELEK W
• Application Number:
  US10/206,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20030021582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,510 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/65, 386/66, 386/68, 386/69, 386/95
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content
• 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: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• 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

Abstract

A method for reproducing a scene by a time shift is provided in which, by transferring a bookmark created by one viewer to an other viewer, the other viewer can also see a scene that the one viewer desires to see and the scene that the one viewer desires to see can be seen commonly together with the other viewer. To reproduce a recorded moving picture, a scene worthy of note is accessed by using the bookmark. When moving picture information is recorded, picture recording time of a specified screen region is stored in a manner that picture recording actual time of a desired scene is associated with the bookmark and, when reproduction is made, access is made to the scene based on time between picture recording actual time of the scene and of the specified picture screen region and image information of the specified picture screen.

Claims

1. A time shift reproduction method comprising:

a step of, while moving pictures arc recorded on a storage medium of a first time shift reproduction device, storing actual time of recording of at least one frame of a specified moment scene out of said moving pictures being recorded at present on said storage medium of said first time shift reproduction device;

a step of creating a bookmark indicating actual time of recording of a frame of a scene desired to be seen out of said moving pictures having been recorded on said storage medium of said first time shift reproduction device;

a step of, when said scene desired to be seen is to be reproduced from said first time shift reproduction device, obtaining access to or jumping to said frame of said scene desired to be seen by using said bookmark;

a step of transferring said bookmark to a storage medium of a second time shift reproduction device; and

a step of, when said scene desired to be seen is to be reproduced from said second time shift reproduction device, obtaining access to or jumping to said frame of said scene desired to be seen by using said bookmark.

2. The time shift reproduction method according to claim 1, wherein reproduction is made by obtaining access to said frame of said scene desired to be seen based on time between actual time of recording of said frame of said specified moment scene and actual time of recording of said frame of said scene desired to be seen and on information about a place where said frame of said specified moment scene is stored.

3. The time shift reproduction method according to claim 2, wherein said scene desired to be seen is identified and accessed by using a time code serving as said information about a place where said scene desired to be seen is stored and being provided to synchronize a video with a voice and by adding said time to said time code.

4. The time shift reproduction method according to claim 2, wherein actual time of recording of pictures being associated with said bookmark is used when reproduction is made.

5. A method for using a bookmark in a time shift reproduction method, said method comprising:

a step of, while moving pictures are recorded on a storage medium of a first time shift reproduction device, storing actual time of recording of at least one frame of a specified moment scene out of said moving pictures being recorded at present on said storage medium of said first time shift reproduction device;

a step of creating a bookmark indicating actual time of recording of a frame of a scene desired to be seen out of said moving pictures having been recorded on said storage medium of said first time shift reproduction device;

a step of, when said scene desired to be seen is to be reproduced from said first time shift reproduction device, obtaining access to or jumping to said frame of said scene desired to be seen by using said bookmark, said reproduction is made by obtaining access to said frame of said scene desired to be seen based on time between actual time of recording of said frame of said specified moment scene and actual time of recording of said frame of said scene desired to be seen and on information about a place where said frame of said specified moment scene is stored;

a step of transferring said bookmark to a storage medium of a second time shift reproduction device; and

a step of, when said scene desired to be seen is to be reproduced from said second time shift reproduction device, obtaining access to or jumping to said frame of said scene desired to be seen by using said bookmark.

6. A time shift reproduction system including at least first and second time shift reproduction devices using a same specified time coordinate system, for reproducing a recorded moving picture by obtaining access to a specified scene using a bookmark, each device comprising:

a storing unit to store, when said moving picture is recorded, a first actual time of recording of at least one frame of a specified moment scene out of said moving picture being recorded at present, the first actual time in a specified time coordinate system;

a bookmark storing section to store a second actual time of recording of a frame of a scene desired to be seen in a manner that said second actual time is associated with said bookmark, the second actual time in said specified time coordinate system; and

an accessing unit to obtain access to said scene desired to be seen comprising an arithmetic operating section for creating a time code corresponding to the scene desired to be seen and a physical address converting section for converting the time code to the physical address of the scene desired to be seen, said accessing unit obtains access to said frame of said scene desired to be seen based on time between said first actual time of recording of said frame of said specified moment scene and said second actual time of recording of said frame of said scene desired to be seen and on said information about a place where said frame of said specified moment scene is stored,

wherein said bookmark is transferred from the first time shift reproduction device to the second time shift reproduction device as a start point of playback by the second time shift reproduction device by which the same moving picture has also been recorded at a same period of time.

7. The time shift reproduction device according to claim 6, wherein said accessing unit identifies said scene desired to be seen by using a time code serving as said information about a place where said scene desired to be seen is stored and being provided to synchronize a video with a voice and by adding said time to said time code.

8. The time shift reproduction device according to claim 6, wherein said second actual time of recording of pictures being associated with said bookmark is used when reproduction is made.