RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND METHOD FEATURING REDUCED SIZE IMAGE DATA GENERATION

• US 20010043794A1
• Filed: 02/09/1998
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: OHTA, MASASHI, SUITO, TARO, AKIBA, TOSHIYA
• Granted Patent: US 6,377,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/69
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• 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 27/327 Table of contents
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Images of reproduced video data of plural channels are displayed on main small screens arrayed in a central horizontal row on an index picture. Time-serially anterior images of reproduced video data are displayed on two upper small screens above the main small screens, while time-serially posterior images of reproduced video data are displayed on two lower small screens below the main small screens. In a forward reproduction mode, the images displayed on the respective small screens are altered, with a lapse of time, to the lower adjacent images while being cross faded. And in a reverse reproduction mode, the images are altered, with a lapse of time, to the upper adjacent images while being cross faded. A normal reproducing operation is started from a desired image when the main small screen, where the desired image is being displayed, is selected by means of a cursor. Thus, any image of video data can be indexed efficiently.

Claims

1. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising:

read means for reading out the video data;

designation means for selectively designating a reproduction speed; and

control means for controlling, in accordance with the reproduction speed designated by said designation means, the interval at which said read means reads out the video data.

2. The recording/reproducing apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising reduced display control means for executing, on a predetermined screen, simultaneous time-series display of reduced images obtained by dimensionally reducing the images which correspond to a predetermined number of video data read out by said read means.

3. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising:

read means for reading out the video data successively at a predetermined interval;

reduced display control means for executing, on a predetermined screen, simultaneous time-series display of reduced images obtained by dimensionally reducing the images which correspond to a predetermined number of video data read out by said read means; and

alteration means for gradually altering, in a forward reproduction mode, each reduced image to the time-serially posterior reduced image, or gradually altering, in a reverse reproduction mode, each reduced image to the time-serially anterior reduced image.

4. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising:

designation means for selectively designating a reproduction speed;

first read means for successively reading out the video data at a predetermined read interval;

decision means for deciding, in accordance with the reproduction speed designated by said designation means, the interval at which said first read means reads out the video data;

second read means for reading out incidental data indicative of the kind of the video data; and

change means for changing the video-data reading interval of said first read means on the basis of the incidental data read out by said second read means and the reading interval corresponding to the reproduction speed decided by said decision means.

5. A recording/reproducing apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein, when the video data of a predetermined kind are continuous for a predetermined period of time, the video data are read out at the interval decided by said decision means.

6. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing video data of a plurality of channels in or from a recording medium, comprising:

read means for reading out, at a predetermined interval, the video data recorded in a recording medium;

reduction means for dimensionally reducing images corresponding to the video data read out by said read means;

display control means for displaying the reduced images, which are obtained from said reduction means, on a plurality of small screens set on a predetermined screen; and

storage means prepared equally in number to such small screens so as to store the video data corresponding to the reduced images to be displayed respectively on said small screens;

wherein, when the video data corresponding to the next reduced images to be displayed on the relevant small screens are stored in said storage means, said display control means displays the reduced images, which correspond to the video data stored in said storage means and are to be displayed next, on the relevant small screens respectively.

7. The recording/reproducing apparatus according to

claim 6

, wherein said storage means consist of ring buffers.

8. The recording/reproducing apparatus according to

claim 6

, further comprising save means for saving the reduced images displayed on said small screens respectively;

wherein, when the reduced images to be displayed on the relevant small screens are saved in said save means, said read means reads out the reduced images saved in said save means, and said display control means displays the reduced images, which are read out by said read means, on the relevant small screens respectively.

9. A recording/reproducing method for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising the steps of:

reading out the video data;

designating a data reproduction speed selectively; and

controlling the video data reading interval in accordance with the designated reproduction speed.

10. A recording/reproducing method for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising the steps of:

reading out the video data successively at a predetermined interval;

executing, on a predetermined screen, simultaneous time-series display of reduced images obtained by dimensionally reducing the images which correspond to a predetermined number of video data read out by said read means; and

gradually altering, in a forward reproduction mode, each reduced image to the time-serially posterior reduced image, or gradually altering, in a reverse reproduction mode, each reduced image to the time-serially anterior reduced image.

11. A recording/reproducing method for recording and/or reproducing at least video data, comprising the steps of:

designating a reproduction speed selectively;

reading out the video data successively at a predetermined read interval;

deciding the video data reading interval in accordance with the designated reproduction speed;

reading out incidental data indicative of the kind of the video data; and

changing the video data reading interval on the basis of the incidental data thus read out and the reading interval corresponding to the decided reproduction speed.

12. A recording/reproducing method for recording and/or reproducing video data of a plurality of channels in or from a recording medium, comprising the steps of:

reading out, at a predetermined interval, the video data recorded in the recording medium;

dimensionally reducing the images corresponding to the video data thus read out;

displaying the reduced images on a plurality of small screens set on a predetermined screen;

storing the video data corresponding to the reduced images to be displayed respectively on the relevant small screens; and

when the video data corresponding to the next reduced images to be displayed on the relevant small screens are stored, displaying the reduced images, which correspond to the stored video data to be displayed next, on the relevant small screens respectively.