Patent Application
20080159713
Not applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital video recorder, a multimedia storage apparatus, and a method thereof; in particular, the invention relates to a digital video recorder, a multimedia storage apparatus, and a multimedia storage method for recording auxiliary data during format conversion.
2. Descriptions of the Related Art
The technology for processing multimedia has progressed over time, with various usages of multimedia storage apparatuses for recording multimedia. A commonly desired multimedium for recording is a television program. In addition to conventional analog TV systems, digital TV (DTV) systems have become popular because of its high display quality and more importantly, its ability to provide more signals. Contrary to an analog TV system, the content carried by DTV channels may comprise information other than programs themselves. More specifically, the information can be attached to a DTV program signal to provide optional language captions, optional fields of view, EPGs (electronic program guides), real-time stock quotes, weather forecasts, and so on.
A DTV program may be recorded in a DVD disc with a DVD recorder. The DTV program is formed by a series of transport streams (TS), each of which is constructed from packetized elementary stream packets (PES packets). Data stored in the DVD format are carried by program streams (PSs) each of which is also constructed from PES packets. Therefore, when a DTV program is recorded on a DVD disc, the TSs require conversion into PSs. However, not all of the information in a TS can be recorded in a PS appropriately. For example, there is no column in a PS that is defined to record auxiliary data of a DTV program, wherein the auxiliary data comprises DVB subtitles, teletexts or closed captioning of the DTV program. Thus, the auxiliary data in a DTV program would be lost after it is recorded in the DVD format.
Accordingly, a solution that records multimedia streams without losing auxiliary data is desired in this industry field.
An object of this invention is to provide a multimedia storage apparatus. The multimedia storage apparatus comprises a demultiplexer, a stream converter, and a memory. The demultiplexer separates A/V data and auxiliary data from a first stream. The stream converter converts the A/V data into a second stream. The memory stores the auxiliary data.
Another object of this invention is to provide a multimedia storage method. The multimedia storage method comprises the following steps: separating A/V data and auxiliary data from a first stream; converting the A/V data into a second stream; and storing the auxiliary data for display.
Another object of this invention is to provide a digital video recorder. The digital video recorder comprises a demultiplexer, a stream converter, and a memory. The demultiplexer separates A/V data and auxiliary data from a first stream. The stream converter converts the A/V data into a second stream. The memory stores the auxiliary data before the second stream is displayed.
Another object of this invention is to provide a multimedia storage apparatus. The multimedia storage apparatus comprises: means for separating A/V data and auxiliary data from a first stream; means for converting the A/V data into a second stream; and means for storing the auxiliary data.
The present invention separates A/V data and auxiliary data from a multimedia stream, and stores the auxiliary data before the multimedia stream is recorded or converted into another format. The auxiliary data, hence, can still be shown even if the multimedia stream is recorded or converted into another format.
The detailed technology and preferred embodiments implemented for the subject invention are described in the following paragraphs accompanying the appended drawings for people skilled in this field to well appreciate the features of the claimed invention.
A first embodiment of the present invention is a multimedia storage apparatus. In this embodiment, the multimedia storage apparatus is a digital video recorder 1, such as a DVD recorder as
The auxiliary data 106 may comprise many kinds of information, such as time information, character information, information of character position, color information, pixel information, EPG information, teletext information, teletext page indices, DVB subtitles, and/or closed captions. For example, the auxiliary data 106 may comprise any of the following: a PAT (Program Association Table), a PMT (Program Map Table), a CAT (Conditional Access Table), an NIT (Network Information Table) of a PSI (Program Specific Information), a BAT (bouquet allocation table), an EIT (event information table), an RST (running status table), a TDT (time and date table) of an SI (service information) of a digital video broadcasting (DVB) system, an STT (system time table), an MGT (master guide table), or an ETT (extended text table) of a PSIP (program and system information protocol).
A second embodiment of the present invention is a multimedia storage method adapted for a multimedia storage apparatus like the first embodiment.
In addition to the steps shown in
A third embodiment of the present invention is a multimedia storage apparatus 3 shown in
The difference between the digital video recorder 3 and the digital video recorder 1 is how the auxiliary data 106 is processed. Instead of being stored in the private field of the PS by the stream converter 103, the auxiliary data 106 in the third embodiment is decoded into a third stream 302, which can be a text-based or a pixel-based file, by the decoder 301. In other words, the second stream 310 will end up only comprising information in the A/V data 104. Both the second stream 310 and the third stream 302 are recorded onto a DVD disc. Therefore, the information in the auxiliary data 106 can also be retrieved by accessing the third stream 302 from the DVD disc. By storing the data in the third stream 302, the information in the auxiliary data 106 can be displayed after the conversion.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is a multimedia storage method adapted for a multimedia storage apparatus like the third embodiment.
In addition to the steps shown in
The present invention separates the A/V data and auxiliary data of a multimedia stream and stores the auxiliary data before the multimedia stream is recorded or converted into another format. The auxiliary data, hence, can still be shown even if the multimedia stream is recorded or converted into another format.
The above disclosure is related to the detailed technical contents and inventive features thereof. People skilled in this field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as described without departing from the characteristics thereof. Nevertheless, although such modifications and replacements are not fully disclosed in the above descriptions, they have substantially been covered in the following claims as appended.
