Apparatus and method for automatically selecting and recording highlight portions of a broadcast signal

• US 7,697,822 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeong, Ok-Seob, Heo, Jum Suk
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US10/159,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20020176689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,871 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/52, 386/83, 386/95, 386/96, 386/97, 386/102, 386/125, 386/126, 360/32, 360/72.2, 455/45, 455/68, 846/00, 846/09, 846/01, 844/77.R
• US Class Current: 386/212
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically selecting and recording a highlight portion of a broadcast signal, which is capable of detecting a highlight code, a voice level, or an image motion in a broadcast signal when a highlight recording mode is set, judging the presence of a highlight portion in the broadcast signal based upon such detection, and automatically recording a thusly judged highlight portion of the broadcast signal, thereby reducing tape consumption and user frustration.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically selecting and recording highlight portions of a broadcast signal with audio and video signal portions, said highlight portions representing the most significant portions of a broadcast program, the apparatus comprising:

an analog/digital converter for converting a broadcast signal having audio and video signal portions into digital data;

a highlight portion detection unit coupled to an output of the analog/digital converter for detecting a highlight portion in the digital data converted by the analog/digital converter and outputting a control signal when a highlight portion is detected;

a memory coupled to the output of the analog/digital converter and to the highlight portion detection unit, for storing an amount of the digital data converted by the analog/digital converter, and for outputting, in response to the control signal outputted by the highlight portion detection unit, the stored digital data;

a digital/analog converter coupled to an output of the memory, the digital/analog converter for converting the digital data outputted from the memory into an analog signal; and

a recording unit coupled to an output of the digital/analog converter, the recording unit for recording the analog signal converted by the digital/analog converter,

wherein the highlight portion detection unit detects a highlight portion by calculating a weighted average level of an audio signal portion in the digital data converted by the analog/digital converter and setting the weighted average level as an audio reference level in accordance with said detection and periodically judging whether an audio signal level of an audio signal portion in the digital data converted by the analog/digital is comparatively greater by a predetermined amount than the thusly set audio reference level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the highlight portion detection unit judges that an audio signal level in the succeeding digital data is neither comparatively greater than the audio reference level by a first predetermined amount nor comparatively less than the audio reference level by a second predetermined amount, the highlight portion detection unit calculates and sets a new audio reference level.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the new audio reference level is calculated as a weighted average of the audio signal level according to the formula:

$\begin{array}{c}\text{New <br><br> <br><br>Audio}\\ \text{Reference}\\ \text{Level}\end{array}=\frac{\begin{array}{c}\text{Present <br><br> <br><br>Audio <br><br> <br><br>Reference <br><br> <br><br>Level}\times <br><br>\\ \left(59+n\right)+\text{Input <br><br> <br><br>Audio <br><br> <br><br>Level}\end{array}}{\left(60+n\right)};<br><br>$

where “

n”

is an arbitrarily set number.

4. A method for automatically selecting and recording highlight portions from a broadcast signal with audio and video signal portions in an apparatus including a receiver, a highlight portion detection unit and a recorder, said highlight portions representing the most significant portions of a broadcast program, comprising:

inputting, via the receiver, a broadcast signal having audio and video signal portions;

detecting, via the highlight portion detection unit, a highlight portion in the inputted broadcast signal; and

recording, via the recorder, the detected highlight portion of the inputted broadcast signal,

wherein the step of detecting the highlight portion comprises;

detecting, via the highlight portion detection unit, an audio signal level from the audio signal portion of the inputted broadcast signal;

setting, via the highlight portion detection unit, a certain audio signal level as an audio reference level;

periodically comparing, via the highlight portion detection unit, the detected audio signal level with the set audio reference level; and

judging, via the highlight portion detection unit, whether the detected audio signal level is comparatively greater or lesser than or equal to the audio reference level, and

wherein the audio reference level is set according to the formula;

$\begin{array}{c}\text{New <br><br> <br><br>Audio}\\ \text{Reference}\\ \text{Level}\end{array}=\frac{\begin{array}{c}\text{Present <br><br> <br><br>Audio <br><br> <br><br>Reference <br><br> <br><br>Level}\times <br><br>\\ \left(59+n\right)+\text{Input <br><br> <br><br>Audio <br><br> <br><br>Level}\end{array}}{\left(60+n\right)};<br><br>$

where “

n”

is an arbitrarily set number. GIBSON

5. A method for automatically selecting and recording highlight portions from a broadcast signal with audio and video signal portions in an apparatus including a receiver, a highlight portion detection unit and a recorder, said highlight portions representing the most significant portions of a broadcast program, comprising:

inputting, via the receiver, a broadcast signal having audio and video signal portions;

detecting, via the highlight portion detection unit, a highlight portion in the inputted broadcast signal; and

recording, via the recorder, the detected highlight portion of the inputted broadcast signal,

wherein the step of detecting the highlight portion comprises;

detecting, via the highlight portion detection unit, an audio signal level from the audio signal portion of the inputted broadcast signal;

setting, via the highlight portion detection unit, a certain audio signal level as an audio reference level;

periodically comparing, via the highlight portion detection unit, the detected audio signal level with the set audio reference level; and

judging, via the highlight portion detection unit, whether the detected audio signal level is comparatively greater or lesser than or equal to the audio reference level, and

wherein the method further comprises when the detected audio signal level is neither comparatively greater than the audio reference level by a first predetermined amount nor comparatively less than the audio reference level by a second predetermined amount, calculating a new weighted average of the detected audio signal level and setting the newly calculated weighted average as a new audio reference level.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting, via the highlight portion detection unit, a highlight portion stop code in the inputted broadcast signal; and

recognizing, via the highlight portion detection unit, the detected highlight portion stop code as indicating the end of a highlight portion in the inputted broadcast signal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the recording step is performed until a predetermined time has elapsed beginning from when the highlight portion start code was detected.