Contents reproducing method and device for reproducing contents on recording medium

• US 7,836,476 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Kazushi, Marukawa, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US10/169,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20030048671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,304 Days
• Field of Search: 725/110, 725/105, 386/125, 386/95, 386/107, 386/117, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.11, 348/211.9, 348/239
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/12 Formatting, e.g. arrangement of data block or words on the record carriers within interface between computers and data recorders G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10944 Real-time recording or reproducing, e.g. for ensuring seamless playback of AV data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• 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 9/8715 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal

Abstract

A disc drive, camera and a server are in communication with one another via a communication network. The disc drive plays back a disc in order to reproduce a recorded picture, whereby the picture and a real-time world view supplied from the camera are combined based on an address table managed by the server to produce a synthetic picture data. For example, a recorded picture reproduced from the disc and real-time world view taken by the camera are combined to synthesize a picture. Thus, content recorded in a recording medium can be used to produce the synthetic picture data.

Claims

1. A reproducing system comprising:

at least one recording medium operable to store recorded video content and identification information corresponding to identifying the recorded video content;

a plurality of cameras each having a unique uniform resource locator (URL) and operable to generate real-time video data;

a server operable to store address tables, wherein the address tables correlate the generated real-time video data with the recorded video content of the at least one recording medium based on the identification information; and

a reproducing apparatus operable to generate output video data based on synthesizing the recorded video content and the real-time video data using an address table that is sent from the server to the reproducing apparatus over a communication network, the address table accessed by the server upon receiving the identification information associated with the at least one recording medium from the reproducing apparatus over the communication network,

wherein, the address table correlates scenes corresponding to the received identification information associated with the at least one recording medium with the unique uniform resource locator of one or more of the plurality of cameras such that the synthesized recorded video content and the real-time video data associated with at least one of the plurality of cameras is produced by combining the recorded video content and the real-time video data according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the video content and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the recorded video content.

2. A non-transitory recording medium having recorded therein a content, and output-processing identification information indicating that all or a part of data forming the content are output-processed along with data from a predetermined information acquisition apparatus based on an accessed address table, such that the output-processing includes a combination of all or a part of data forming the content with the data from a predetermined information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the data forming the content and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the data forming the content.

3. A non-transitory recording medium having recorded therein a content, and operation control information under which the reproducing apparatus to reproduce the content controls operations of an information acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content based on an address table accessed by the reproducing apparatus, such that the reproduced content includes combined recorded video data associated with the recording medium with real-time video data from at least one of a plurality of cameras associated with the information acquisition apparatus according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the content and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according the content.

4. A non-transitory recording medium having recorded therein a content, and retrieval information according to which the reproducing apparatus to reproduce the content accesses an information acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content based on an address table accessed by the reproducing apparatus, such that the reproduced content includes combined recorded video data associated with the recording medium with real-time video data from at least one of a plurality of cameras associated with the information acquisition apparatus according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the recorded video data and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the recorded video data.

5. A reproducing apparatus comprising:

a reproducing means for reproducing a content;

a communication means for making data communications with an information acquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and

a data output-processing means for producing third data based on first data reproduced by the reproducing means and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing means,

wherein the address table correlates the first and the second data, and outputting the third data, wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced by the reproducing means and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the first data and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the first data.

6. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the data output-processing means combines together the first data and the second data to produce the third data.

7. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, further comprising detecting means for detecting output-processing identification information included in the content, and wherein the data output-processing identification means produces the third data from both the first and the second data according to the output-processing identification information detected by the detecting means.

8. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, further comprising means for detecting operation control information included in the content;

the communication means being designed to send the operation control information detected by the detecting means to the information acquisition apparatus.

9. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, further comprising an operating means for entering address information according to which data communications are made with the information acquisition apparatus.

10. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the reproducing apparatus reproduces a content from a recording medium loaded therein.

11. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the reproducing means reproduces a content downloaded via the communication network.

12. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the communication means is able to make data communications with a server capable of communications via a communication network, and with the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table sent from the server and in which the content and address information of the information acquisition apparatus are correlated with each other.

13. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, further comprising reading means for reading, from a recording medium loaded therein, the address table in which the content and address information of the information acquisition apparatus are correlated with each other, and wherein the communication means is designed to make data communications with the information acquisition apparatus based on the address table read by the reading means from the recording medium.

14. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the communication means is able to make data communications with a server capable of communications via a communication network while making data communications with the information acquisition reproducing apparatus under the control of the server.

15. A server comprising:

a communication means for making data communications with a reproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communication network;

a storage means having stored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by the reproducing apparatus and address information on an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communications with the reproducing apparatus via the network are correlated with each other; and

a control means for retrieving the address table according to retrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and causing the communication means to send the retrieved address table to the reproducing apparatus, wherein at the reproduction apparatus a recorded video content is combined with real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras from the information acquisition apparatus to produce a synthesized picture, the synthesized picture produced according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the recorded video content and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the recorded video content.

16. A server comprising:

a communication means for making data communications with a reproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communication network;

a storage means having stored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by the reproducing means and address information on an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other; and

a control means for retrieving the address table according to retrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and controlling communications between the reproducing apparatus and information acquisition apparatus based on the retrieved address table, wherein at the reproduction means the reproducible content is combined with real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras from the information acquisition apparatus to produce a synthesized picture, the synthesized picture produced according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the reproducible content and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the reproducible content.

17. A reproducing method of reproducing a content recorded in a recording medium, comprising steps of:

reproducing a content;

making data communications with an information acquisition apparatus via a communication network; and

producing third data based on first data reproduced in the reproducing step and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus in the communication step based on accessing an address table that correlates the first and second data, and outputting the third data, wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced in the reproducing step and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the reproduced first data and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the reproduced first data.

18. A reproducing system in which data communications can be done between a reproducing apparatus and information acquisition apparatus, wherein:

the reproducing apparatus includes;

a reproducing means for reproducing a content;

a communication means for making data communications with an information acquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and

a data output-processing means for producing third data from first data reproduced by the reproducing means and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing means, wherein the address table correlates the first and the second data, and outputting the third data, wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced by the reproducing means and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the first data and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the first data; and

the information acquisition apparatus includes;

means for acquiring information;

a communication means for making data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a communication network; and

a control means for causing the communication means to send information acquired by the information acquisition means to the reproducing apparatus.

19. A reproducing system in which data communications can be made among a reproducing apparatus, information acquisition apparatus and a server, wherein:

the reproducing apparatus includes;

a reproducing means for reproducing a content;

a communication means for making data communications with an information acquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and

a data output-processing means for producing third data based on first data reproduced by the reproducing means and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing means,

wherein the address table correlates the first and the second data, and outputting the third data, wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced by the reproducing means and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the first data and,

wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the first data;

the information acquisition apparatus includes;

means for acquiring information;

a communication means for making data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a communication network; and

a control means for causing the communication means to send information acquired by the information acquisition means to the reproducing apparatus; and

the server includes;

a communication means for making data communications with a reproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communication network;

a storage means having stored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by the reproducing apparatus and address information on an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other; and

a control means for retrieving the address table according to retrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and causing the communication means to send the retrieved address table to the reproducing apparatus.

20. A reproducing system in which data communications can be made among a reproducing apparatus, information acquisition apparatus and a server, wherein:

the reproducing apparatus includes;

a reproducing means for reproducing a content;

a communication means for making data communications with an information acquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and

a data output-processing means for producing third data based on first data reproduced by the reproducing means and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing means,

wherein the address table correlates the first and the second data, and outputting the third data,

wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced by the reproducing means and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the first data and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according the first data;

the information acquisition apparatus includes;

means for acquiring information;

a communication means for making data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a communication network; and

a control means for causing the communication means to send information acquired by the information acquisition means to the reproducing apparatus; and

the server includes;

a communication means for making data communications with a reproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communication network;

a storage means having stored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by the reproducing means and address information on an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other; and

a control means for retrieving the address table according to retrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and controlling communications between the reproducing apparatus and information acquisition apparatus based on the retrieved address table.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a signal which carries a content, and information including link information according to which a reproducing apparatus going to reproduce the content accesses an information acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content based on an address table accessed by the reproducing apparatus, such that the reproduced content includes combined recorded video data associated with a recording medium with real-time video data from at least one of a plurality of cameras associated with the accessed information acquisition apparatus according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the recorded video data and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the recorded video data.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a signal which carries a content, and information including output-processing identification information indicating that all or a part of data forming the content are outputted from a reproducing apparatus along with data coming from a predetermined information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing apparatus, such that the outputted content includes a combination of the all or a part of data forming the content with real-time video data from at least one of a plurality of cameras associated with the predetermined information acquisition apparatus according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the data forming the content and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the data forming the content.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a signal which carries a content, and information including operation control information under which a reproducing apparatus going to reproduce the content controls operations of an information acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content based on an address table accessed by the reproducing apparatus, such that the reproduced content includes combined recorded video data associated with a recording medium with real-time video data from at least one of a plurality of cameras associated with the information acquisition apparatus according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the recorded video data and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the recorded video data.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a signal which carries a content, and information including retrieval information according to which a reproducing apparatus going to reproduce the content accesses an information acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content based on an address table accessed by the reproducing apparatus, such that the reproduced content includes combined recorded video data associated with a recording medium with real-time video data from at least one of a plurality of cameras associated with the information acquisition apparatus according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the recorded video data and, wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the recorded video data.

25. A reproducing apparatus comprising:

a reproducing unit that reproduces a content;

a communication unit that communicates with an information acquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and

a data output-processing unit that produces third data based on first data reproduced by the reproducing unit and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing unit,

wherein the address table correlates the first and the second data, and outputting the third data,

wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced by the reproducing unit and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the first data and,

wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the first data.

26. A server comprising:

a communication unit that communicates with a reproducing apparatus that is capable of data communications via a communication network;

a storage unit having stored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by the reproducing apparatus and address information on an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communications with the reproducing apparatus via the network are correlated with each other; and

a control unit that retrieves the address table according to retrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and causing the communication unit to send the retrieved address table to the reproducing apparatus,

wherein at the reproduction apparatus a recorded video content is combined with real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras from the information acquisition apparatus to produce a synthesized picture, the synthesized picture produced according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the recorded video content and,

wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the recorded video content.

27. A server comprising:

a communication unit that communications with a reproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communication network;

a storage unit that has stored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by the reproducing apparatus and address information on an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other; and

a control unit that retrieves the address table according to retrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and controlling communications between the reproducing apparatus and information acquisition apparatus based on the retrieved address table,

wherein the reproducible content is combined with real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras from the information acquisition apparatus to produce a synthesized picture, the synthesized picture produced according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the reproducible content and,

wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the reproducible content.

28. A reproducing system in which data communications can be done between a reproducing apparatus and information acquisition apparatus, wherein:

the reproducing apparatus includes;

a reproducing unit that reproduces a content;

a communication unit that communicates with an information acquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and

a data output-processing unit that produces third data from first data reproduced by the reproducing unit and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing unit,

wherein the address table correlates the first and the second data, and outputting the third data,

wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced by the reproducing unit and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the first data and,

wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the first data; and

the information acquisition apparatus includes;

an acquiring unit that acquires information;

a second communication unit that communicates with the reproducing apparatus via a communication network; and

a control unit that controls the communication unit to send information acquired by the information acquisition unit to the reproducing apparatus.

29. A reproducing system in which data communications can be made among a reproducing apparatus, information acquisition apparatus and a server, wherein:

the reproducing apparatus includes;

a reproducing unit that reproduces a content;

a communication unit that communicates with an information acquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and

a data output-processing unit that produces third data based on first data reproduced by the reproducing unit and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing unit,

wherein the address table correlates the first and the second data, and outputting the third data,

wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced by the reproducing means and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the first data and,

wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according to the first data;

the information acquisition apparatus includes;

an acquiring unit that acquires information;

a second communication unit that communicates with the reproducing apparatus via a communication network; and

a control unit for controlling communications to send information acquired by the information acquisition unit to the reproducing apparatus; and

the server includes;

a server communication unit that communicates with a reproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communication network;

a storage unit having stored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by the reproducing apparatus and address information on an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other; and

a control unit that retrieves the address table according to retrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and causing the communication means to send the retrieved address table to the reproducing apparatus.

30. A reproducing system in which data communications can be made among a reproducing apparatus, information acquisition apparatus and a server, wherein:

the reproducing apparatus includes;

a reproducing unit that reproduces a content;

a communication unit that communicates with an information acquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and

a data output-processing unit that produces third data based on first data reproduced by the reproducing unit and second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus based on an address table accessed by the reproducing unit,

wherein the address table correlates the first and the second data, and outputting the third data,

wherein the third data is produced by combining the first data reproduced by the reproducing unit and the second data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus producing real-time video data associated with at least one of a plurality of cameras according to synthesis type ID information extracted from the first data and,

wherein operations of the at least one of the plurality of cameras are controllable according the first data;

the information acquisition apparatus includes;

an acquiring unit that acquires information;

an acquisition communication unit that communicates with the reproducing apparatus via a communication network; and

a control unit for causing the communication unit to send information acquired by the information acquisition unit to the reproducing apparatus; and

the server includes;

a server communication unit for making data communications with a reproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communication network;

a storage unit having stored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by the reproducing unit and address information on an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communications with the reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other; and

a control unit for retrieving the address table according to retrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and controlling communications between the reproducing apparatus and information acquisition apparatus based on the retrieved address table.