DIGITAL AUDIO CHANNELS WITH MULTILINGUAL INDICATION

• US 20010015863A1
• Filed: 03/11/1997
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: OGURO, MASAKI
• Granted Patent: US 6,344,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10592 specifically adapted for recording or reproducing multichannel signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/655 Memory in cassette [MIC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3063 Subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/86 Arrangements characterised by the broadcast information itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/78266 using more than one track for the recording of one television field or frame, i.e. segmented recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

During recording, a multilingual indication is generated when at least two of the audio channels of a digital audio signal are associated with a common program, and the multilingual indication is combined with the digital audio signal. During reproduction, a display is activated when a multilingual indication indicates that at least two of the audio channels included in a digital audio signal are associated with a common program.

Claims

1. A method for generating data, comprising the steps of:

receiving a digital audio signal including a plurality of audio channels;

generating a multilingual indication when at least two of the audio channels are associated with a common program; and

combining the multilingual indication with the digital audio signal.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the multilingual indication is a data bit.

3. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of combining the multilingual indication with other audio management information.

4. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of recording the digital audio signal, as combined with the multilingual indication, on a recording medium.

5. The method of

claim 4

, wherein the step of recording is repeated for error protection.

6. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of supplying the digital audio signal, as combined with the multilingual indication, to a transmission medium.

7. A method for reproducing data, comprising the steps of:

receiving a digital audio signal including a plurality of audio channels and a multilingual indication indicating whether at least two of the audio channels are associated with a common program; and

activating a display when the multilingual indication indicates that at least two of the audio channels are associated with a common program.

8. The method of

claim 7

, further comprising the steps of receiving an audio channel selection, and reproducing the selected audio channel.

9. The method of

claim 7

, further comprising the step of automatically reproducing a first of the audio channels when at least two of the audio channels are associated with a common program.

10. The method of

claim 7

, wherein the step of receiving repeatedly receives the multilingual indication, and further comprising the step of applying a rule-of-majority to the repeatedly received multilingual indication to determine an original value of the multilingual indication.

11. An apparatus for generating data, comprising:

means for receiving a digital audio signal including a plurality of audio channels;

means for generating a multilingual indication when at least two of the audio channels are associated with a common program; and

means for combining the multilingual indication with the digital audio signal.

12. The apparatus of

claim 11

, wherein the multilingual indication is a data bit.

13. The apparatus of

claim 11

, further comprising means for combining the multilingual indication with other audio management information.

14. The apparatus of

claim 11

, further comprising means for recording the digital audio signal, as combined with the multilingual indication, on a recording medium.

15. The apparatus of

claim 14

, wherein the means for recording is operative to repeatedly record the digital audio signal, as combined with the multilingual indication, for error protection.

16. The apparatus of

claim 11

, further comprising means for supplying the digital audio signal, as combined with the multilingual indication, to a transmission medium.

17. An apparatus for reproducing data, comprising:

means for receiving a digital audio signal including a plurality of audio channels and a multilingual indication indicating whether at least two of the audio channels are associated with a common program; and

means for activating a display when the multilingual indication indicates that at least two of the audio channels are associated with a common program.

18. The apparatus of

claim 17

, further comprising means for receiving an audio channel selection, and means for reproducing the selected audio channel.

19. The apparatus of

claim 17

, further comprising means for automatically reproducing a first of the audio channels when at least two of the audio channels are associated with a common program.

20. The apparatus of

claim 17

, wherein the means for receiving repeatedly receives the multilingual indication, and further comprising means for applying a rule-of-majority to the repeatedly received multilingual indication to determine an original value of the multilingual indication.