Abstract: The invention concerns a method and digital recording device for faster than normal playback of a 24 fps presentation without any loss of program information. A 24 fps playback signal is produced from a storage medium. Subsequently, a pull-down process can be performed to reformat the 24 fps playback signal for a video display, for example at 30 fps. Finally, redundant field pictures produced by the pull-down process can be selectively dropped to increase a playback speed of the presentation. The method can further include the step of selectively controlling a number of the redundant field pictures that are dropped responsive to a user input. This step can be performed automatically by calculating the rate at which the redundant field pictures must be dropped responsive to a user input.

Abstract: A method and a system for identifying a copy of an image sequence which is presented on a screen. At least one identifier distinct from the image sequence can be projected through the screen such that the identifier is displayed using visible light along with the image sequence. The identifier can be presented at periodic intervals and can define a theater location, a date and/or a time. A color and/or an illumination of at least a portion of the image sequence presentation can be measured. Based on the measured illumination and/or color, a projection brightness and/or color can be determined for the identifier. Also, a location on the screen through which the identifier should be projected can be determined.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and apparatus for displaying closed caption information during trick mode playback. A video processor (150) can be configured to delete one or more pictures in a segment of the video presentation that contains at least one picture having one or more NUL characters. A remaining portion of the segment of the video presentation containing the closed caption information can be displayed during playback at a trick mode speed. The segment of the presentation can include, but is not limited to, a group of pictures (GOP). The method can further include the step of determining pictures within GOP containing non-displayable control codes and deleting those pictures containing non-displayable codes. The Video processor provides to a display device a remaining portion of the GOP containing the closed caption information for display at a trick mode playback speed.

Abstract: A data storage element comprising a substrate and a data track disposed on the substrate, the data track comprising a plurality of data sectors, each of the data sectors being formatted in accordance with a first digital data standard and comprised of a control data portion and a payload data portion, each of the payload portions including a plurality of data packets formatted in accordance with a digital television standard. In particular, the data packs correspond to program stream packs specified in the DVD standard and the data packets correspond to transport packets specified in the ATSC standard. The present storage element enables the data stored thereon to be read by a conventional DVD front end and provided to an ATSC receiver without processing the contents of the transport packets. Therefore, the present invention allows ATSC data to be stored on a DVD disc and to be provided in a manner that can fully realize the display capabilities of the ATSC receiver.

Abstract: A method (200) and apparatus (100) for displaying in a remote display device a user command, or status information, in a digitally encoded video signal containing a plurality of pictures transmitted from the apparatus to a remote display device. The method comprises the steps of: generating (216 or 220) at least one digitally encoded indicia representing the user command, or status information; and in response to the user command, modifying (218) at least one picture from a plurality of pictures being sent to the display device for decoding and display by replacing at least a portion of the picture with the digitally encoded indicia such that the indicia is decoded and displayed (220) when the picture is decoded and displayed by the display device. The method can further include reading the digitally encoded signal from a storage medium contained in the apparatus, and the generating step and the modifying step can be performed during the reading step.

Abstract: A data recorder for a digital video disc includes a first-in, first-out buffer memory. The memory is responsive to an input data signal for sequentially storing in a first-in, first-out manner a running, data of Video Object Units (VOBU's), defined in the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) Specification for Read Only Disc (the specification), prior to recording the data. In a first embodiment of the invention, the values of each address pointer of a first sub-set of address pointers contained in a field VOBU Search Information (VOBU_SRI), are established in accordance with the VOBU's contained in the buffer memory. The value of each address pointer of a second sub-set of the address pointers, associated with VOBU's positioned further behind, in a sequence of presentation, than each of the VOBU's contained in the memory is not made to conform to the Specification. Thereby, a storage capacity requirement from the buffer memory is reduced.

Abstract: The invention includes a system and method for changing a playback speed of a selected video segment containing field pictures which has been recorded onto a portion of a storage medium. A selected video segment can be modified for a changed playback speed and the modified video segment can be recorded exclusively on the portion of the storage medium. A plurality of non-video packs in the selected video segment can be deleted to reduce the amount of data contained in the modified video segment. The video segment can be modified by adding at least one field picture. Alternatively, the video segment can be modified by removing at least one field picture contained in the video segment. In either arrangement, the video segment can be reencoded to produce a smoother trick mode and playback performance.

Abstract: The invention includes a system and method for changing a playback speed of a selected video segment having a progressive frame structure which has been recorded onto a portion of a storage medium. A selected video segment can be modified for a changed playback speed and the modified video segment can be recorded exclusively on the portion of the medium. A plurality of non-video packs in the selected video segment can be deleted to reduce the amount of data contained in the modified video segment. Alternatively, the resolution of at least one frame in the modified video segment can be reduced. The video segment can contain intra and non-intra frames and can be modified by adding at least one picture. Alternatively, the video segment can be modified by removing at least one picture. The video segment can also be re-encoded for smoother trick mode and playback performance.

Abstract: A method for playing a digital audio recording at a speed other than 1X, the method comprises retrieving stored digital audio information represented in a plurality of audio frames. A portion of the plurality of audio frames are ranked according to an energy content in the portion of audio frames. Audio frames having least energy content in accordance with the ranking are deleted from the portion of the plurality of audio frames. Remaining ones of the portion of audio frames following deletion are selected to form an audio trick mode playback signal.

Abstract: A video processing system adaptively generates and processes volume/file structure and navigation data of different data format and converts data between different formats for decoding, recording and other applications. The system processes the volume/file structure and navigation data in distinct modes including (a) pre-processing, (b) contemporaneous and (c) post-processing modes. In addition, the system provides navigation information supporting navigation through different images of one or more video programs by parsing encoded packetized data representative of a sequence of individual images to determine parameters to support navigation through the sequence of individual images. The determined parameters are formatted into a predetermined data structure and incorporated into a pre-formed navigation data field.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and apparatus for audio program playback during fast forward playback video trick modes. A storage medium reader can be configured to read coded digital data from a storage medium such as a DVD. The coded digital data can be a video presentation having correspondingly formatted video and audio frames. An audio processor can insert silence frames in a selected block of the audio frames and portions of the audio frames can be deleted to compensate for video trick mode playback. Resulting audio frames can be concatenated to create 1× audio for various video trick modes playback.

Abstract: A video decoder User interface system supports decoding, recording and other applications including the addition of new decoder features and the conversion of data formats between read-only and recordable formats, for example. The system involves generating a menu from stored data representative of a pre-formed menu containing a menu icon permitting User selection of data format conversion of packetized data from a read-only data format to a different recordable data format. The system generates navigation parameters that are compatible with the recordable data format and incorporates them in output data in response to User selection of the menu icon. In another feature, the pre-formed menu also contains an inactive menu icon that is activated by associating and linking an active command with the inactive menu icon.

Abstract: In an digital video disk player the timely acquisition of specific data types is particularly important during trick mode operation. During trick modes a controller can provide enhanced control capability by employing interrupt requests having priorities that differ from those used during normal play mode operation. A method for controlling a microcontroller in digital disk apparatus having at least two reproducing modes. The method comprises the steps of prioritizing the microcontroller interrupts during a first reproducing mode, and in a second reproducing mode reordering the microcontroller interrupt priorities.

Abstract: An MPEG decoder in a high definition television receiver decodes and decompresses MPEG coded data to produce decompressed image pixel blocks, and includes a motion compensation network coupled to a frame memory to produce finally decoded pixel data for display. The decompressed MPEG data is recompressed by plural parallel recompressors prior to storage in frame memory. Each recompressor receives a datastream of interleaved pixel data, and predicts and compresses interleaved pixel values during each clock cycle, respectively. One of the recompressors is de-energized in a reduced data processing mode when pixel data is subsampled prior to recompression. Subsampled data is re-ordered prior to recompression. Multiple parallel decompressors coupled to the frame memory provide pixel data to the motion processing network. A control unit insures an uninterrupted interleaved data flow to the decompressors by repeating last valid data when source data is interrupted.

Abstract: An MPEG decoder in a high definition television receiver decodes and decompresses MPEG coded data to produce decompressed image pixel blocks, and includes a motion compensation network coupled to a frame memory to produce finally decoded pixel data for display. The decompressed MPEG data is recompressed by plural parallel recompressors prior to storage in frame memory. Each recompressor receives a datastream of interleaved pixel data, and predicts and compresses interleaved pixel values during each clock cycle, respectively. One of the recompressors is de-energized in a reduced data processing mode when pixel data is subsampled prior to recompression. Subsampled data is re-ordered prior to recompression. Multiple parallel decompressors coupled to the frame memory provide pixel data to the motion processing network. A control unit insures an uninterrupted interleaved data flow to the decompressors by repeating last valid data when source data is interrupted.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for editing a recorded series of bits on a rewritable disc media. The method includes the steps of selectively identifying a beginning point and an end point of a segment of the recorded series of bits to be deleted; and modifying a first jump command in a control data portion of the disc. The first jump command is modified for causing playback from the disc to continue at the end point when reading in a forward direction. The method can further include modifying a second jump command in a control date portion of the disc for causing playback from the disc to continue at the beginning point when reading data for playback in a reverse direction.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method (200) and system (100) for searching for duplicate data. The method (200) includes the steps of: generating (212) at least one identifier from at least one portion of a first segment of data using a unique identifier function; generating (216) at least one identifier from at least one portion of a second segment of data using the unique identifier function; and comparing (220) at least one identifier associated with the first segment of data with at least one identifier associated with the second segment of data to determine whether the first segment of data is substantially identical to the second segment of data.

Abstract: A method for copying a recorded series of bits from a first location to a second location on a rewritable disc media. The method includes the steps of selectively marking a beginning point and an end point of a segment of the recorded series of bits, and a location to which said segment is to be copied prior tp said reading step. Subsequently, video data comprising at least a portion of the segment of the recorded series of bits to be copied is read from the disk and stored in a track buffer of a DVD device. At least part of the video data from the track buffer is subsequently transferred directly from the track buffer to the record buffer by a control processor of the DVD device. Finally, the portion of the video data stored in the track buffer is written to the second location.

Abstract: The invention includes a system and method for changing a playback speed of a selected video segment having a non-progressive frame structure which has been recorded onto a portion of a storage medium. A selected video segment can be modified for a changed playback speed and the modified video segment can be recorded exclusively on the portion of the storage medium. A plurality of non-video packs in the selected video segment can be deleted to reduce the amount of data contained in the modified video segment. The video segment can be modified by decoding the frames in the video segment, reencoding such frames into their associated field pictures and adding at least one field picture. Alternatively, the video segment can be modified by removing at least one frame or field picture contained in the video segment. In either arrangement, the video segment can be reencoded to produce a smoother trick mode and playback performance.

Abstract: A method and device for editing to a picture a group of pictures (GOP) in a DVD media without decoding and encoding of an MPEG encoded signal. The method includes the steps of: marking a user selected end picture to identify a selected segment of the encoded signal to be edited; automatically identifying an actual end picture for the selected segment based on a position of the user selected end picture relative to at least one other picture within the encoded signal; and performing an edit function on an actual segment delimited by the actual end picture.