Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transceiving audio data reproduced from a recording medium such as a digital video disk (DVD) through a digital interface such as IEEE 1394. The transmitting method according to the present invention separates an audio data stream from data reproduced from a recording medium, inserts the separated audio data stream into the private data area of an MPEG-formatted data stream, and transmits the MPEG-formatted data stream containing the audio data stream in the private data area through a digital communication line. The receiving method according to the present invention checks whether or not an MPEG-formatted data stream received through a digital interface includes the private data area, extracts audio data inserted in the private data area, and decodes the extracted audio data. As a result, the present invention does not require the conventional re-encoding process after decoding.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a recording signal by converting an image signal and outputting the generated recording signal to an external device is provided. The image signal included image data corresponding to an image to be displayed on a display. The image data includes a plurality of data pieces each corresponding to a different one of a plurality of image elements which compose the image. The apparatus includes: a control information placing device for placing a control information piece onto one of the plurality of data pieces corresponding to one of the plurality of image elements that is to be located at an outer edge portion of the image when the image is displayed on the display screen; and a generating device for generating the recording signal including the control information piece. The control information piece includes information to control an operation of the external device.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a disc recording unit for recording each video section composing a broadcast program onto a rewritable optical disc; an electronic watermark reading unit for reading electronic watermarks embedded into the video section; and a recording flag storing unit for storing a recording flag. If the read electronic watermarks show that recording is permitted, the recording flag is set as “0” to record the next video section. If the read electronic watermarks show that recording is prohibited, the recording flag is set as “1” not to record the next video section. If a broadcast program is newly selected under a condition where the recording of the currently received broadcast program is prohibited, the recording flag is reset to “0” and the first received video section of the newly selected broadcast program is recorded onto the rewritable optical disc.

Abstract: When a video input (image data) sequentially fetched from a monitor camera is to be stored in data storage means, frame rate calculating means calculates a frame rate for storage of the image data by using a picture recording time mode, a residual capacity of the data storage means, the presence of generation of an alarm signal and a value of a picture quality parameter for data compression. The frame rate calculating means thins a video signal which does not correspond to the frame rate so as not to be stored in the data storage means. Consequently, image data for a predetermined time are stored in the data storage means.

Abstract: A video indexing method and device for selecting keyframes from each detected scene in the video. The method and device detects fast motion scenes by counting the number of consecutive scene changes detected.

Abstract: A system for recording an input video signal input to an A/D conversion processing section on a recording medium in accordance with a recording clock generated by a recording system synchronous control section, and for outputting the video signal recorded on the recording medium to outside in accordance with a reproducing system synchronous control section. When switching and outputting a recording video signal input to the A/D conversion processing section and a reproduction video signal recorded on the recording medium and then decoded and output by an MPEG AV decoder, the recording video signal is temporarily stored in a frame synchronizer, and the recording video signal stored in the frame synchronizer and the reproduction video signal decoded by the MPEG AV decoder are switched and output in accordance with a reproduction clock generated by the reproducing system synchronous control section.

Abstract: An electronic device has memory (configuration ROM) which is directly accessible from another electronic device. The memory has an area (for example, a “Model_ID” entry of a root directory) to store its own model information and another area (for example, a Model_ID” entry of a module information directory) to store model information of a module to which the electronic device is connected. The information pointing to a storage location of the module information directory is set at a “Module_info” entry of the root directory. The model information includes model ID for identifying models and user interface information for describing models (textual data and icon data). When another electronic device accesses the memory, it aquires the above information. This allows it to easily aquire model information of the module to which the electronic device is connected.

Abstract: A data recording and reproducing apparatus capable of easily obtaining information which has few dropout and is necessary for variable speed reproduction at the time of variable speed reproduction. An image group dividing unit divides input image data into a plurality of image groups on a unit image basis, thereby forming plural divided data. After the formed divided data is temporarily stored into an image data temporary storing unit, the divided data is outputted as image data which is a data stream of the divided data in a predetermined image unit to a disk array apparatus via an HDD output interface unit. Each disk array apparatus records the divided data into HDDs so as to periodically change the relation between the HDDs and the groups of data to be recorded to the HDDs in a predetermined pattern.

Abstract: A system that utilizes a determined time between characteristics from content for subsequently identifying the content and/or the corresponding content review position in the time domain. The system utilizes a database of previously stored time between characteristics from known content for matching to the determined time between characteristics from the content source. The characteristics may correspond to video tape indexing data, keyframe data, audio characteristics, text occurrences, and/or other known characteristics from the content. When a match is found between the determined time between characteristics and the stored times between characteristics, the system identifies the content. If corresponding time domain data is stored in the database, the system identifies the current content review position in the time domain.

Abstract: In order to obtain a high-quality image when an encoded stream which is encoded using MPEG is played back at variable speed, a stream conversion apparatus is provided which converts an arrangement of DCT coefficients of a source encoded stream into an arrangement suitable for variable-speed playback. Specifically, a header part is separated from an elementary stream of MPEG, and DCT coefficients arranged from a low order of a spatial frequency to a high order are extracted by zigzag scan at intervals of a plurality of DCT blocks which form a macro block. These DCT coefficients are rearranged from a low order to a high order across a plurality of DCT blocks. The DCT coefficients rearranged in this manner are packed into a stream, and the separated header part is added, forming a converted elementary stream. This converted elementary stream is recorded.

Abstract: In a recording and reproduction method for recording digital data on magnetic tape by a helical scanning method or for reproducing digital data recorded on magnetic tape by the helical scanning method, a plurality of sectors are generated in each track on the magnetic tape and various types of data, such as video data and audio data, and track-synchronization data are recorded. Pilot signals for tracking control are recorded on the various types of data in a superposition manner by the use of three different frequencies such that the frequency changes every track in a predetermined repetition manner. The pilot signal is recorded so as to have a higher level at least in two blocks in a sector where the track-synchronization data is recorded than in the other portion of each track.

Abstract: Video signals are recorded according to the number of tracks corresponding to the broadcasting system for each basic unit. When control signals are recorded on a magnetic tape in the longitudinal direction, the duty ratio of the control signals for every N tracks recorded for each basic unit has a value different from that of the duty ratio of other control signals. At the time when the magnetic tape 1 is reproduced CTL signals are obtained by forming waveforms of the reproduced amplified outputs by means of a waveform formation unit 6. A CTL signal duty ratio determination unit 9 detects the border of a frame in accordance with the duty ratio. A broadcasting a system determination unit 10 determines the broadcasting system based on the counting result of the CTL signals during one frame that has been counted by the CTL signal counting unit 9.

Abstract: A recording medium having a data management structure capable of efficiently determining whether or not an outline image representing the outline of an original image and character information representing additional contents are added, and an motion-picture voice recording/reproducing apparatus for improving a retrieving operation factor of the recorded original image by generating and outputting the outline image from the original image even when the outline image is not added. Recording position information of images representing an outline of motion-picture and a voice signal, recording position information of character information representing additional contents relating to the motion-picture and voice signals, and/or information representing that the images representing the outline or the character information is not set by a user or by a system, are recorded to, and reproduced from, the recording medium.

Abstract: A recording medium such as a video CD, for recording both audio and still picture data, has all audio data recorded on successive tracks within one recording region and data of all of the still pictures recorded together within another recording region as successive data sets expressing respective ones of a plurality of groups of still pictures. Each of recorded sets of track control information specifies, for the corresponding track, a still picture group which includes all of the still pictures that are to be displayed during playback of that track, those pictures (within that group) which are actually to be displayed during that playback, and respective display starting time points for the specified pictures.

Abstract: A VISS signal detection method for performing detection of a VISS signal of a video tape includes a step of executing a taking-up process of an interval between edges per level edge of the VISS signal, a step of performing a detection process of a VISS pulse, and a step of performing a detection process of the VISS signal on the basis of result of detection at the VISS pulse detection step. The process of the edge interval taking-in step is set as an interrupt process having highest preference. In the VISS pulse detection step, by making reference to a count value of an edge counter for distributing count values of a timer measuring the edge interval of a phase position detection signal added to the VISS signal used in the edge interval taking-in step, presence and absence of delay in the process of the VISS pulse is detected based on number of occurrence of the edge interval taking-in step occurring up to the VISS pulse detection step.

Abstract: An image recording device uses a first recording medium which stores image data photographed by an image photographing apparatus such as a digital camera, and uses a second recording medium which has a larger available storage capacity than the first recording medium. When the image data stored in the first recording medium is transferred into the second recording medium, history data corresponding to the image data to be transferred, is also transferred together. The history data is used for retrieval of the image data. Thus, the image recording device makes it possible to perform later image retrieval operations easily and conveniently. If available storage capacity of the first recording medium is not enough to record data from the second recording medium, the image recording device displays a message for indicating it. This system allows effective use of memory capacity.

Abstract: By packetizing main data to be recorded in a program area while providing each of the packets with a header (packet property) for managing the data length of individual packets, and further providing a management area (packet index) for batched management of a pack in managing the pack of a plurality of aggregated packets, reproduction of the header (packet property) included in the individual packs at the time of access and reproduction of the management area (packet index) on the inner circle in advance enable access to the individual packets included in the whole pack (that is, the aggregated packets).

Abstract: To prevent fraudulent innumerable copies of a copyrighted digital signal from appearing, a dedicated device driver reads the copyrighted digital signal from a card type recording medium, for example, a copy bit flag is added to the digital signal thus read, the copy bit flag indicating that there exists no digital signal identical to the original digital data, and the digital signal having the copy bit flag added thereto is stored into a hard disc.

Abstract: Conditional access methods and apparatus are provided for use with digital television receivers and other digital broadband receivers. The methods and apparatus are capable of handling several different digital signal transmission protocols in an automatic and flexible manner. An input unit is provided for analyzing and tagging incoming data bytes so that further processing operations are less dependent on the transmission format being received. A cipher handling unit is provided for adapting in real time the scrambling and descrambling performances to match the requirements of the transmission network and the receiving apparatus. A filtering mechanism is provided for filtering and handling multiple asynchronous data streams in a parallel manner. A private recording mechanism is provided for making a private copy of selected incoming signals.

Abstract: Video recording according to the DVD-VR Specification allows to record only one sub-picture stream. Therefore, a new technique is provided in order to be able to record at least two different sub-title streams in such a way that the sub-pictures of the different streams may be displayed optionally. A first sub-picture stream is directly copied to the DVD-VR disc, whereas a second or third sub-picture stream is transcoded to Teletext format so that the data can be included into the video stream to be recorded on the DVD-VR disc. Thus, several sub-titles are available during replaying a DVD-VR disc.