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

• US 8,600,219 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• 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: Suito, Taro, Ohta, Masashi, Chotoku, Koichi, Hamada, Toshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy T
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, EILEEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/614,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20070104459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,539 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/278
• 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 processing apparatus for setting a representative picture for a sequence of video signals, comprising:

extracting means for extracting a static picture from the sequence of video signals, the extracting being performed with a predetermined timing, the predetermined timing being a time since a start of a program such that the static picture is extracted at a point which is a predetermined duration into the sequence of video signals;

judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted by the extracting means is part of a commercial; and

setting means for discarding the static picture and setting a different static picture as the representative picture in response to the judgment means determining that the static picture extracted by the extracting means is part of a commercial, wherein the different static picture set as the representative picture is a picture appearing upon completion of the commercial,

wherein the representative picture is a picture that provides a representation of the content contained in the sequence of video signals.

2. The video-signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the different static picture, set as the representative picture, is a picture appearing a predetermined time period after completion of the commercial.

3. The video-signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying means for displaying the representative picture in a selectable menu.

4. A video-signal processing apparatus for setting a representative picture for a sequence of video signals, comprising:

extracting means for extracting a static picture from the sequence of video signals, the extracting being performed with a predetermined timing, the predetermined timing being a time since a start of a program such that the static picture is extracted at a point which is a predetermined duration into the sequence of video signals;

judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted by the extracting means is a meaningless picture; and

setting means for discarding the static picture and setting a different static picture as the representative picture in response to the judgment means determining that the static picture extracted by the extracting means is a meaningless picture, wherein the different static picture set as the representative picture is a picture following the meaningless picture,

wherein the judgment means forms the judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by the extracting means is a meaningless picture on the basis of an edge of the static picture, wherein when a horizontal-direction edge amount EH and a vertical-direction edge amount EV are both smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the static picture extracted by the extracting means is determined to be a meaningless picture, and

wherein the representative picture is a picture that provides a representation of the content contained in the sequence of video signals.

5. The video-signal processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the judgment means is capable of forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by the extracting means is a meaningless picture on the basis of whether a histogram distribution of the static picture exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. A video-signal processing method adopted in a video-signal processing apparatus for setting a representative picture for a sequence of video signals, said video-signal processing method comprising:

an extracting step of extracting a static picture from the sequence of video signals, the extracting being performed with a predetermined timing, the predetermined timing being a time since a start of a program such that the static picture is extracted at a point which is a predetermined duration into the sequence of video signals;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted at the extracting step is a part of a commercial; and

a setting step of discarding the static picture and setting a different static picture as the representative picture in response to the judgment step determining that the static picture extracted by the extracting means is part of a commercial, wherein the different static picture set as the representative picture is a picture appearing upon completion of the commercial,

wherein the representative picture is a picture that provides a representation of the content contained in the sequence of video signals.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for controlling a video-signal processing apparatus for setting a representative picture for a sequence of video signals, 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 the sequence of video signals, the extracting being performed with a predetermined timing, the predetermined timing being a time since a start of a program such that the static picture is extracted at a point which is a predetermined duration into the sequence of video signals;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted at the extracting step is a part of a commercial; and

a setting step of discarding the static picture and setting a different static picture as the representative picture in response to the judgment step determining that the static picture extracted by the extracting means is part of a commercial, wherein the different static picture set as the representative picture is a picture appearing upon completion of the commercial,

wherein the representative picture is a picture that provides a representation of the content contained in the sequence of video signals.

8. A video-signal processing apparatus for setting a representative picture for a sequence of video signals, comprising:

an extracting mechanism configured to extract a static picture from the sequence of video signals, the extracting being performed with a predetermined timing, the predetermined timing being a time since a start of a program such that the static picture is extracted at a point which is a predetermined duration into the sequence of video signals;

a judgment mechanism configured to form a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted by the extracting mechanism is part of a commercial; and

a setting mechanism configured to discard the static picture and set a different a static picture as the representative picture in response to the judgment mechanism determining that the static picture extracted by the extracting mechanism is part of a commercial, wherein the different static picture set as the representative picture is a picture appearing upon completion of the commercial,

wherein the representative picture is a picture that provides a representation of the content contained in the sequence of video signals.

9. A video-signal processing apparatus for setting a representative picture for a sequence of video signals, comprising:

an extracting mechanism configured to extract a static picture from the sequence of video signals, the extracting being performed with a predetermined timing, the predetermined timing being a time since a start of a program such that the static picture is extracted at a point which is a predetermined duration into the sequence of video signals;

a judgment mechanism configured to form a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted by the extracting mechanism is meaningless picture; and

a setting mechanism configured to discard the static picture and set a different static picture as the representative picture in response to the judgment mechanism determining that the static picture extracted by the extracting means is a meaningless picture, wherein the different static picture set as the representative picture is a picture following the meaningless picture,

wherein the judgment mechanism is configured to form the judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by the extracting mechanism is a meaningless picture on the basis of an edge of the static picture, wherein when a horizontal-direction edge amount EH and a vertical-direction edge amount EV are both smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the static picture extracted by the extracting means is determined to be a meaningless picture, and

wherein the representative picture is a picture that provides a representation of the content contained in the sequence of video signals.

10. The video-signal processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the judgment mechanism is capable of forming a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted by the extracting mechanism is a meaningless picture on the basis of an edge of whether a histogram distribution of the static picture exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. A video-signal processing method adopted in a video-signal processing apparatus for setting a representative picture for a sequence of video signals, said video-signal processing method comprising:

an extracting step of extracting a static picture from the sequence of video signals, the extracting being performed with a predetermined timing, the predetermined timing being a time since a start of a program such that the static picture is extracted at a point which is a predetermined duration into the sequence of video signals;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted at the extracting step is a meaningless picture; and

a setting step of discarding the static picture and setting a different static picture as the representative picture in response to the judgment step determining that the static picture extracted by the extracting means is a meaningless picture, wherein the different static picture set as the representative picture is a picture following the meaningless picture,

wherein the judging step further forms the judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by the extracting is a meaningless picture on the basis of an edge of the static picture, wherein when a horizontal-direction edge amount EH and a vertical-direction edge amount EV are both smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the static picture extracted by the extracting means is determined to be a meaningless picture, and

wherein the representative picture is a picture that provides a representation of the content contained in the sequence of video signals.

12. The video-signal processing method according to claim 11, wherein a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted at the extracting step is a meaningless picture is made on the basis of whether a histogram distribution of the static picture exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for controlling a video-signal processing apparatus for setting a representative picture for a sequence of video signals, 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 the sequence of video signals, the extracting being performed with a predetermined timing, the predetermined timing being a time since a start of a program such that the static picture is extracted at a point which is a predetermined duration into the sequence of video signals;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted at the extracting step is a meaningless picture; and

a setting step of discarding the static picture and setting a different static picture as the representative picture in response to the judgment step determining that the static picture extracted by the extracting means is a meaningless picture, wherein the different static picture set as the representative picture is a picture following the meaningless picture,

wherein the judging step further forms the judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by the extracting is a meaningless picture on the basis of an edge of the static picture, wherein when a horizontal-direction edge amount EH and a vertical-direction edge amount EV are both smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the static picture extracted by the extracting means is determined to be a meaningless picture, and

wherein the representative picture is a picture that provides a representation of the content contained in the sequence of video signals.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions according to claim 13, wherein a judgment as to whether or not the static picture extracted at the extracting step is a meaningless picture is made on the basis of whether a histogram distribution of the static picture exceeds a predetermined threshold.