Picture retrieval system, and record carrier and device for use in the system

• US 5,835,674 A
• Filed: 02/15/1994
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Timmermans, Jozef M. K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/197,106
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/342, 360/33.1, 360/48, 360/72.1, 360/72.2, 369/30, 369/32, 369/47, 369/48, 369/50, 348/390
• US Class Current: 386/206
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/17 Card-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/255 CD-I, i.e. CD-interactive
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• 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: 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 27/3036 Time code signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/326 used signal is a video-frame or a video-field (P.I.P.)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00962 Input arrangements for operating instructions or parameters, e.g. updating internal software program loading in general G06F9/445; network-specific protocols involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2175 with local image input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3935 : with modification of image resolution, i.e. determining the values of picture elements at new relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/64 : Systems for the transmission or the storage of the colour picture signal; Details therefor, e.g. coding or decoding means therefor H04N19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/646 : Transmitting or storing colour television type signals, e.g. PAL, Lab; Their conversion into additive or subtractive colour signals or vice versa therefor H04N1/642, H04N1/644 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/39 : involving multiple description coding [MDC], i.e. with separate layers being structured as independently decodable descriptions of input picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3243 : of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 : Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 : The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9206 : the additional signal being a character code signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/926 : by pulse code modulation H04N5/919 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/797 : for recording the signal in a plurality of channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the signal H04N9/804, H04N9/81, H04N9/82 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/804 : involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/877 : by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/888 : for signals recorded by pulse code modulation

Abstract

A picture retrieval system is which comprises a record carrier (184) and a read device (11). A coded picture (8 TV, 16 TV, 64 TV, 256 TV) composed of consecutive coded picture lines is recorded in a continuous track (20) of the record carrier (184). The read device scans the track to read coded picture lines recorded in the track and moves the read head (280) to a track portion having a selected address with a certain search accuracy. Together with the coded picture lines (APDB) a line number (LN) and a line synchronization are recorded in the track (20). The line number specifies the sequence number of the relevant picture line in the coded picture. The line synchronization specifies the beginning of the relevant picture line. Moreover, addresses (ADLN#1, . . . , ADLN#1009) for a number of coded picture lines of the coded picture are recorded in a portion (IIDB) of the track, to specify the positions where the relevant picture lines have been recorded in the track (20). The device also searches a coded picture line on the basis of the addresses read from the track portion (IIDB).

Claims

1. A picture retrieval combination for locating and retrieving selected coded picture lines stored on a record carrier, said combination comprising:

a) a record carrier on which a multiplicity of coded picture lines and a plurality of addresses are recorded in a track, said coded picture lines representing a coded picture composed of a sequence of consecutive coded picture lines, each respective one of said consecutive coded picture lines having a line synchronization code and a respective line number recorded at the beginning of that one coded picture line, each line synchronization code marking the beginning of the respective coded picture line and each line number specifying the sequence number of the respective coded line in said sequence; and

said addresses being a plurality of addresses each specifying the location on said track of a respective given picture line; and

b) a reading apparatus comprising;

a read head for reading said coded picture lines and said addresses by scanning said track;

line selecting means for selecting one of said respective given picture lines;

address selecting means, responsive to said line selecting means, for selecting that one of said plurality of addresses which corresponds to said one of said respective given picture lines;

moving means, responsive to said address selecting means, for causing relative movement of said read head with respect to said track, such that said read head scans the location on said track corresponding to said one of said addresses; and

means coupled to said read head for detecting the beginning of said one of said respective given picture lines on the basis of its respective line number and line synchronization code.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said location corresponding to said one of said addresses is a location before the beginning of said one of said respective given picture lines.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the number of said plurality of addresses is less than the number of said multiplicity of coded picture lines.

4. A combination as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said location corresponding to said one of said addresses is a location before the beginning of said one of said respective given picture lines.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said moving means has a search accuracy corresponding to a given distance along said track, and consecutive locations specified by said plurality of addresses are separated by a distance substantially corresponding to said given distance.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 5, wherein said record carrier is a disc having a central axis, said read device includes means for rotating said disc about said axis, said moving means moves said read head substantially radially with respect to said axis, and said at least one track is a spiral track,

characterized in that said given distance is substantially half the length of a turn of said spiral track.

7. A combination as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said coded picture lines are encoded according to a variable-length code.

8. A combination as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said location corresponding to said one of said addresses is a location before the beginning of said one of said respective given picture lines.

9. A combination as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the number of said plurality of addresses is less than the number of said multiplicity of coded picture lines.

10. A combination as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that said location corresponding to said one of said addresses is a location before the beginning of said one of said respective given picture lines.

11. A combination as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that said moving means has a search accuracy corresponding to a given distance along said track, and consecutive locations specified by said plurality of addresses are separated by a distance substantially corresponding to said given distance.

12. A combination as claimed in claim 11, wherein said record carrier is a disc having a central axis, said read device includes means for rotating said disc about said axis, said moving means moves said read head substantially radially with respect to said axis, and said at least one track is a spiral track,

characterized in that said given distance is substantially half the length of a turn of said spiral track.

18. A combination as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said plurality of addresses is stored separately from the corresponding multiplicity of coded picture lines.

13. A record carrier for pictures stored as a multiplicity of coded picture lines, and arranged to permit rapid retrieval of a selected coded picture line, characterized in that:

said coded picture lines and a plurality of addresses are recorded in a track,

said coded picture lines represent a coded picture composed of a sequence of consecutive coded picture lines, each respective one of said consecutive coded picture lines having a line synchronization code and a respective line number recorded at the beginning of that one coded picture line, each line synchronization code marking the beginning of the respective coded picture line and each line number specifying the sequence number of the respective coded line in said sequence, and

each of said addresses specifies the location on said track of a respective given picture line.

14. A record carrier as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the number of said plurality of addresses is less than the number of said multiplicity of coded picture lines.

15. A record carrier as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that said coded picture lines are encoded according to a variable-length code.

16. A picture retrieval apparatus for reading selected coded picture lines stored on a record carrier which has a multiplicity of coded picture lines and a plurality of addresses recorded in a track,

each respective one of said consecutive coded picture lines having a line synchronization code and a respective line number recorded at the beginning of that one coded picture line, each line synchronization code marking the beginning of the respective coded picture line and each line number specifying the sequence number of the respective coded line in said sequence, and

the number of the plurality of addresses being less than the number of coded picture lines, each of said addresses specifying the location on the track of a respective given picture line,

characterized in that the apparatus comprises:

a read head for reading said coded picture lines and said addresses by scanning said track,

line selecting means for selecting a first coded picture line,

address selecting means, responsive to said line selecting means, for selecting that one of said plurality of addresses which corresponds to said first coded picture line,

moving means, responsive to said address selecting means, for causing relative movement of said read head with respect to said track, such that said read head scans the location on said track corresponding to said one of said addresses, and

means coupled to said read head for detecting the beginning of said first coded picture line on the basis of its respective line number and line synchronization code.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, for reading said lines on a record carrier formed as a disc having a disc axis, consecutive locations specified by said plurality of addresses being separated by a distance substantially corresponding to a given distance,

wherein said apparatus further comprises means for rotating the disc about the disc axis, and the moving means is arranged for moving the head radially with respect to the disc axis,

characterized in that said moving means has a search accuracy corresponding to said given distance along said track.

19. A picture retrieval combination for locating and retrieving selected coded picture elements for a picture stored as compressed data on a record carrier, said combination comprising:

a) a record carrier on which a multiplicity of coded picture elements and a separately stored plurality of addresses are recorded in a track, said coded picture elements being a sequence of elements representing a coded picture composed of a sequence of picture lines, each respective one of said consecutive coded picture elements having an element synchronization code and a respective element number recorded at the beginning of that one coded picture element, each element synchronization code marking the beginning of the respective coded picture element and each element number specifying the sequence number of the respective coded element in said sequence of elements; and

said addresses being a plurality of addresses each specifying the location on said track of a respective given picture element; and

b) a reading apparatus comprising;

a read head for reading said coded picture elements and said addresses by scanning said track;

element selecting means for selecting one of said respective given picture elements;

address selecting means, responsive to said element selecting means, for selecting that one of said plurality of addresses which corresponds to said one of said respective given picture elements;

moving means, responsive to said address selecting means, for causing relative movement of said read head with respect to said track, such that said read head scans the location on said track corresponding to said one of said addresses; and

means coupled to said read head for detecting the beginning of said one of said respective given picture elements on the basis of its respective element number and element synchronization code.

20. A combination as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that said coded picture elements have a variable length.

21. A combination as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that said coded picture elements are picture lines.

22. A combination as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that a number of addresses less that the total number of picture elements is stored.