Recording/reproduction apparatus, and recording/reproduction method as well as stereoscopic images visual effects confirmation apparatus and stereoscopic image visual effects confirmation method

• US 7,659,934 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Seto, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Nhan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIEP, TRUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/376,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20060210249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 348/42, 348/48, 348/222.1, 348/239, 348/670, 348/333.02, 348/333.09, 348/333.12, 345/815
• US Class Current: 348/333.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/183 On-screen display [OSD] information, e.g. subtitles or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for recording/reproduction of images with which the visual effects of a plurality of images can be visually confirmed with ease. The apparatus includes a recording/reproduction section that records a plurality of input sets of video data and reads them from the recording mediums for reproduction; an arithmetic operation section that performs arithmetic operations by a method corresponding to an external instruction on the plurality of sets of video data reproduced by the recording/reproduction section; and a superimposition section that generates character-string data indicating the arithmetic operation method of the arithmetic operation section, superimposes the arithmetic video data produced by arithmetic operations of the arithmetic operation section and the character-string data and outputs the superimposed video data produced by the superimposition as outcome of arithmetic operations.

Claims

1. A recording/reproduction apparatus comprising:

recording/reproduction means for recording a plurality of input sets of first and second video data and reading them from the recording mediums for reproduction;

arithmetic operation means for performing one of at least first and second arithmetic operations by a method corresponding to an external instruction on the plurality of sets of first and second video data reproduced by the recording/reproduction means, wherein the second arithmetic operation is for simultaneously displaying, without overlap, a left portion of the first video data and a right portion of the second video data based upon a position of a partition; and

superimposition means for generating character-string data indicating an arithmetic operation method of the arithmetic operation means, for superimposing arithmetic video data produced by arithmetic operations of the arithmetic operation means and the character-string data and for outputting the superimposed video data produced by the superimposition as outcome of arithmetic operations.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

for the first arithmetic operation the arithmetic operation means uses a set of first video data as the arithmetic video data while switching from the set of first video data to another set of second video data so as to use the another set of second video data as the arithmetic video data according to the external instruction.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

for the second arithmetic operation the arithmetic operation means operates for image synthesis, using a predetermined position in the arithmetic video data for the position of the partition for separating the set of first video data and another set of second video data, and

the superimposition means generates cursor data for indicating the position of the partition for separating the set of first video data and another set of second video data and superimposes the cursor data on the position of the partition of the superimposed video data.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the arithmetic operation means shifts the position of the partition for separating the set of first video data and the another set of second video data according to the external instruction, and

the superimposition means superimposes the cursor data on the shifted position of the partition.

5. A recording/reproduction apparatus comprising:

a recording/reproduction section for recording a plurality of input sets of first and second video data and reading them from the recording mediums for reproduction;

an arithmetic operation section for performing one of at least first and second arithmetic operations by a method corresponding to an external instruction on the plurality of sets of first and second video data reproduced by the recording/reproduction section, wherein the second arithmetic operation is for simultaneously displaying, without overlap, a left portion of the first video data and a right portion of the second video data based upon a position of a partition; and

a superimposition section (a) generating character-string data indicating the arithmetic operation method of the arithmetic operation section, (b) superimposing the arithmetic video data produced by arithmetic operations of the arithmetic operation section and the character-string data and (c) outputting the superimposed video data produced by the superimposition as outcome of arithmetic operations.

6. A recording/reproduction method comprising:

a recording/reproduction step of recording a plurality of input sets of first and second video data and reading them from the recording mediums for reproduction;

an arithmetic operation step of performing one of at least first and second arithmetic operations by a method corresponding to an external command on the plurality of sets of first and second video data reproduced in the recording/reproduction step, wherein the second arithmetic operation is for simultaneously displaying, without overlap, a left portion of the first video data and a right portion of the second video data based upon a position of a partition; and

a superimposition step of (a) generating character-string data indicating the arithmetic operation method of the arithmetic operation step, (b) superimposing the arithmetic video data produced by arithmetic operations in the arithmetic operation step and the character-string data and (c) outputting the superimposed video data produced by the superimposition as outcome of arithmetic operations.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

for the first arithmetic operation the arithmetic operation step is adapted to use a set of first video data as the arithmetic video data while switching from the set of first video data to another set of second video data so as to use the another set of second video data as arithmetic video data according to the external instruction.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein

for the second arithmetic operation the arithmetic operation step is adapted to operate for image synthesis, using a predetermined position in the arithmetic video data for the position of the partition for separating a set of first video data and another set of second video data, and

the superimposition step is adapted to generate cursor data for indicating the position of the partition for separating the set of first video data and the another set of second video data and superimpose the cursor data on the position of the partition of the superimposed video data.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein

the arithmetic operation step is adapted to shift the position of the partition for separating the set of first video data and the another set of second video data according to an external instruction and

the superimposition step is adapted to superimpose the cursor data on the shifted position of the partition.

10. A stereoscopic image visual effects confirmation apparatus comprising:

recording/reproduction means for recording input right eye video data and input left eye video data on an recording medium and reading them from the recording medium;

synthesis means for synthetically combining the right eye video data and the left eye video data reproduced by the recording/reproduction means and synthetically combining them for superimposition, wherein all luminescence levels above a predetermined threshold are set to a first value and all luminescence levels below the predetermined threshold are a set to a second value; and

superimposition means for generating character-string data indicating the synthesis method of the synthesis means, for superimposing the synthesized video data synthetically produced by the synthesis means and the character-string data and for outputting the superimposed video data produced by the superimposition as outcome of synthesis.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the synthesis means synthetically combines the right eye video data and the left eye video data so as to superimpose them one on the other and computes an absolute value of a difference between the right eye video data and the left eye video data for each pixel to emphasize a part where the absolute value of the difference of each pixel is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value.

12. A stereoscopic image visual effects confirmation method comprising:

a recording/reproduction step of recording input right eye video data and input left eye video data on an recording medium and reading them from the recording medium;

a synthesis step of synthetically combining the right eye video data and the left eye video data reproduced in the recording/reproduction step and synthetically combining them for superimposition, wherein all luminescence levels above a predetermined threshold are set to a first value and all luminescence levels below the predetermined threshold are a set to a second value; and

a superimposition step of (a) generating character-string data indicating the synthesis method of the synthesis step, (b) superimposing the synthesized video data synthetically produced in the synthesis step and the character-string data and (c) outputting the superimposed video data produced by the superimposition as outcome of synthesis.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

the synthesis step is adapted to synthetically combine the right eye video data and the left eye video data so as to superimpose them one on the other and compute an absolute value of a difference between the right eye video data and the left eye video data for each pixel to emphasize a part where the absolute value of the difference of each pixel is greater than the predetermined threshold value.

14. A recording/reproduction apparatus comprising:

a recording/reproduction section recording a plurality of input sets of first and second video data and reading them from the recording mediums for reproduction;

an arithmetic operation section performing one of at least first and second arithmetic operations by a method corresponding to an external instruction on the plurality of sets of first and second video data reproduced by the recording/reproduction section, wherein the second arithmetic operation is for simultaneously displaying, without overlap, a left portion of the first video data and a right portion of the second video data based upon a position of a partition; and

a superimposition section (a) generating character-string data indicating the arithmetic operation method of the arithmetic operation section, (b) superimposing the arithmetic video data produced by arithmetic operations of the arithmetic operation section and the character-string data and (c) outputting the superimposed video data produced by the superimposition as outcome of arithmetic operations.

15. A stereoscopic image visual effect confirmation apparatus comprising:

a recording/reproduction section recording input right eye video data and input left eye video data on an recording medium and reads them from the recording medium;

a synthesis section that synthetically combining the right eye video data and the left eye video data reproduced by the recording/reproduction section and synthetically combines them for superimposition, wherein all luminescence levels above a predetermined threshold are set to a first value and all luminescence levels below the predetermined threshold are a set to a second value; and

a superimposition section (a) generating character-string data indicating the synthesis method of the synthesis section, (b) superimposing the synthesized video data synthetically produced by the synthesis section and the character-string data and (c) outputting the superimposed video data produced by the superimposition as outcome of synthesis.