WIDE-BAND MULTI-FORMAT AUDIO/VIDEO PRODUCTION SYSTEM WITH FRAME-RATE CONVERSION

• US 20130010188A1
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightside Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Multi-Format, Inc.
• Inventors: Washino, Kinya
• Granted Patent: US 8,842,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/448
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1262 with more than one format/standard, e.g. conversion from CD-audio format to R-DAT format
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1292 Enhancement of the total storage capacity
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2228 Video assist systems used in motion picture production, e.g. video cameras connected to viewfinders of motion picture cameras or related video signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/011 : using magnetic recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0112 : one of the standards corresponding to a cinematograph film standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 : the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0125 : one of the standards being a high definition standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0127 : by changing the field or frame frequency of the incoming video signal, e.g. frame rate converter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7925 : for more than one standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/82 : the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only

Abstract

A system for processing an audio/video program to output at a desired display rate includes a computer including RAM, ROM and a processor. The system has an input receiving an input video program in a first interlaced format. The computer has hardware or software functioning to: storing the input program, at least temporarily, in the first format; de-interlacing the input video program to generate a video program in a first progressive format having progressive frames, each progressive frame being derived from a respective one, and only one, of the fields in the first interlaced format; removing or repeating some of the frames of the video program in the first progressive format generating a program in a second progressive format; outputting the program in the second progressive format, wherein the display rate of the program is at least 48 frames-per-second.

Claims

1. A system for processing an audio/video program to output a modified version of the program at a desired display rate, the system comprising:

a computer including RAM, ROM and a processor;

an input for receiving an input video program in a first interlaced format having no added redundant frames or fields;

the computer having hardware or software operative to perform the following functions;

storing the input program, at least temporarily, in the first format;

de-interlacing the input video program to generate a video program in a first progressive format comprising a sequence of progressive frames, each progressive frame being derived from a respective one, and only one, of the fields in the first interlaced format;

removing or repeating some of the frames of the video program in the first progressive format to generate a program in a second progressive format; and

outputting the program in the second progressive format, wherein the display rate of the program is at least 48 frames-per-second, and is an integer multiple of substantially 24, 25, or 30 frames-per-second.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interlaced format is PAL or HDTV at 25 fps.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interlaced format is NTSC or HDTV at 30 fps.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a display device on which the output program is displayed.

5. A system for processing an audio/video program to output a modified version of the program at a desired display rate, the system comprising:

a computer including RAM, ROM and a processor;

an input for receiving an input video program in a first progressive format having no added redundant frames;

the computer having hardware or software operative to perform the following functions;

storing the input program, at least temporarily, in the first format;

repeating each frame of the first progressive format to generate a program in an intermediate progressive format having a frame rate exactly twice that of the first progressive format;

removing or repeating some of the frames of the video program in the intermediate progressive format to generate a program in a second progressive format; and

outputting the program in the second progressive format, wherein the display rate of the program is at least 48 frames-per-second, and is an integer multiple of substantially 24, 25, or 30 frames-per-second.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first progressive format is at 24, 25, or 30 fps.

7. The system of claim 5, the computer further having hardware or software operative to perform the function of re-interlacing the second progressive format to generate an interlaced output format comprising a sequence of interlaced fields, each interlaced field being derived from a respective one, and only one, of the frames in the second progressive format prior to outputting the program.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the interlaced format is NTSC or HDTV at 30 fps.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the interlaced format is PAL or HDTV at 25 fps.

10. The system of claim 5, further including a display device on which the output program is displayed.

11. A system for processing an audio/video program to output a modified version of the program at a desired display rate, the system comprising:

a computer including RAM, ROM and a processor;

an input for receiving an input video program in a first format having no added redundant frames or fields, and having a frame rate that is an integer multiple of 24 fps;

the computer having hardware or software operative to perform the following functions;

storing the input program, at least temporarily, in the first format;

removing or repeating some of the frames of the video program in the first progressive format to generate a program in an intermediate progressive format at a frame rate of at least 48 fps frames per second, if not already in that format; and

outputting the program in the intermediate progressive format wherein the display rate is an integer multiple of substantially 24, 25, or 30 frames-per-second and is greater than or equal to 48 frames per second.

12. The system of claim 11, the computer further having hardware or software operative to perform the function of determining if the input video program is in an interlaced format, and, if so, de-interlacing the input video program to generate a video program in a first progressive format comprising a sequence of progressive frames, each progressive frame being derived from a respective one, and only one, of the fields in the first format.

13. The system of claim 11, further including a display device on which the output program is displayed.

14. The system of claim 12, further including a display device on which the output program is displayed.

15. A system for processing an audio/video program to output a modified version of the program at a desired display rate, the system comprising:

a computer including RAM, ROM and a processor;

an input for receiving an input video program in a first format having no added redundant frames or fields, and having a frame rate that is an integer multiple of 25 fps;

the computer having hardware or software operative to perform the following functions;

storing the input program, at least temporarily, in the first format;

removing or repeating some of the frames of the video program in the first progressive format to generate a program in an intermediate progressive format at a frame rate of at least 50 fps frames per second, if not already in that format; and

outputting the program in the intermediate progressive format, wherein the display rate is an integer multiple of substantially 24, 25, or 30 frames-per-second and is greater than or equal to 48 frames per second.

16. The system of claim 15, the computer further having hardware or software operative to perform the function of determining if the input video program is in an interlaced format, and, if so, de-interlacing the input video program to generate a video program in a first progressive format comprising a sequence of progressive frames, each progressive frame being derived from a respective one, and only one, of the fields in the first format.

17. The system of claims 15, further including a display device on which the output program is displayed.

18. The system of claims 16, further including a display device on which the output program is displayed.