This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-006803, filed Jan. 15, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to a recording/play back apparatus, a play back control apparatus and method, and a recording/play back program, which are applicable to a digital television set with a hard disc drive (HDD) having a function of recording and play back video content.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of editing and combining images recorded at different time and places is well known in imaging technology. A method of imaging the same subject at several angles by using two or more cameras is also well known (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-26727).
In the above patent application, image data recorded by a common view supply apparatus is sent to a local imaging apparatus. In a local imaging apparatus, a user records images, and the recorded image data is recorded on a recording medium. At this time, common image data sent from a common supply apparatus can also be recorded in a local imaging apparatus at the same time. Common image data and local image data can be selectively or collectively reproduced in a local imaging apparatus.
A general architecture that implements the various features of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.
Various embodiments according to the invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The invention provides an easy-to-operate recording/play back apparatus, a play back control method and program and a television receiver which record a personal image related to a master image on a recording medium, and reproduce the personal image in synchronization with play back of the master image.
An embodiment of the invention comprises a play back module to reproduce a star image, and an imaging module to record a viewer as a personal image. A related content management module generates related information which has a relation between a personal image and a master image. A synchronous record control module creates synchronizing information to synchronize play back of a personal image and a master image. A recording module has a recorder to record the synchronizing information and personal image on a recording medium.
In this embodiment, recording is executed when a motion vector of a personal image is larger than a predetermined value.
In the above embodiment, when a personal image is reproduced simultaneously with a master image, the personal image and master image are identified based on the related information table, and reproduced based on the synchronizing information.
A configuration of a recording/play back apparatus according to the invention will be explained in
The decoded video and audio data are output from an output module 107 to a display 109 and a speaker 108.
A system control module 110 is a processing module for controlling operations of each of modules. The system control module 110 receives control commands from an external operation module 111 such as a remote controller. The control commands include commands for recording television broadcast signals, and play back recorded content items. When a command for recording a television broadcast signal is issued, the content of a received broadcast signal is encoded by the MPEG processing module 106, and recorded on an optical disc D through an optical disc drive 104, or on a hard disc H through a hard disc drive 105.
When a command for play back the content recorded on an optical disc D or hard disc H, the content is read from the optical disc D or hard disc H. The read content is decoded by the MPEG processing module 106, and supplied to the output module 107.
The image viewing apparatus has the above-described configuration and functions. In contrast, the apparatus according to the invention further comprises a viewer imaging module 112, a synchronous record control module 113, a related content management module 114, and a composite display control module 115.
The system control module 110 is connected to the digital demodulation module 103, optical disc drive 104, hard disc drive 105, MPEG processing module 106, output module 107, viewer imaging module 112, synchronous record control module 113, and related content management module 114, through a digital signal bus.
The viewer imaging module 112 is a processing module for imaging a viewer who is viewing a master image, and has a camera. The viewer imaging module 112 may be called an imaging module. The synchronous record control module 113 is a control module for recording the viewer image recorded by the viewer imaging module 112 in synchronization with a master image. The synchronous record control module 113 holds a play back time presentation time stamp (PTS) of a master image, and is used as a synchronizing signal when recording a viewer image (may be called a personal image). At this time, the content management module 114 manages information such as content ID for relating a viewer image (a personal image) to a master image.
When the viewer image and master image area simultaneously reproduced, the content management module 114 searches related content, and the composite display control module 115 determines display areas for two or more content items as play back objects, and the output module 107 controls for displaying a composite image data.
In the above configuration, it is possible to record and reproduce a master image related to two or more images of viewers watching the master image.
An explanation will be given of a flow of recording a viewer image according to the invention by using
In step S203 after startup, simultaneously with steps S201 and S202, the viewer imaging module 112 records viewers watching a master image.
Next, in steps S204 and S205, only the scene having large motion among the recorded viewers images is made recordable by analyzing the motion. Namely, the amount of motion vector between a previous frame and a current frame is calculated. When the total motion vector (the total amount in a frame) is larger than a reference value, a personal image is recorded by using a PTS of a master image as synchronizing information of a personal image. Steps S204 and S205 are not necessarily executed. When play back of a master image is finished, or when a viewer issues a play back stop instruction, recording of the personal image is finished. When play back is continued, steps S201 to S206 are repeated.
The apparatus has three channels of play back module. In a first channel, the content recorded on the optical disc D is read by the optical disc drive 104, and decoded by the MPEG processing module 106. The decoded content is output through the composite display control module 115 and output module 107. In a second channel, the content recorded on the hard disc H is read by the hard disc drive 105, and decoded by the MPEG processing module 106. The decoded content is output through the composite display control module 115 and output module 107. In a third channel, the broadcast content received by the receiving module 102 is demodulated by the digital demodulation module 103, and decoded by the MPEG processing module 106. The decoded content is output through the composite display control module 115 and output module 107.
As a recording module, there are following four channels and their combinations. In a first channel, received broadcast content is demodulated by the digital demodulation module 103, encoded by the MPEG processing module 106. The encoded content is recorded on the optical disc D through the optical disc drive 104. In a second channel, encoded content is recorded on the hard disc H through the hard disc drive 105. In the other channels, content recorded by the viewer imaging module 112 is encoded by the MPEG processing module 106, and the encoded content is recorded on the optical disc D through the optical disc drive 104. Encoded content is recorded on the hard disc H through the hard disc drive 105.
First, in step S301, the related content management module 114 determines whether a related content ID exists. When a related content ID exists, a related content list is created in step S302. For example, when two or more related content IDS are detected in step S302, a list of related content is created.
In step S303, the created list is displayed, and a viewer is prompted to select object content. When a medium on which a master image is recorded actually exists as an external medium such as an optical disc, a message “insert a medium”, for example, necessary for play back of the content may be issued. Therefor, content recorded media (HDD, DVD, etc,) information may be added to the database (
In step S304, the screen shown in
In step S305, a display area for each content is calculated by the composite display control module 115, based on the setting made in step S304. If steps S302 to S304 are omitted, all related content items are regarded as play back objects. In this case, a display format may be previously determined by the composite display control module 115, for example by deciding a display area by equally dividing a full screen by the number of content items.
In step S306, each play back content is decoded. In step S307, the display area calculated in step S305 is sent to the output module 107, and two or more content items are displayed in a combined mode.
Next, an explanation will be given of examples of scenes in the apparatus according to the invention by using
As described in the flowchart of
Further, a viewer image may not be recorded, and a viewer image may be displayed in real time when a master image is reproduced. Recently, education service using internet has been increased. Therefore, the invention may be applied to viewing of program images supplied through network.
Accompanying with the recent health trend or diets boom, home fitness using exercise DVD and internet have received attention. Many kinds of training DVD for dance and ballet are put on the market. Eurythmics DVD for infants, and various types of video content of moving-while-viewing type for a wide age range are increased.
In viewing the above-mentioned types of content, viewers are likely to want to check their own motion. In the past, a large mirror is used, or a video camera is used to record a whole body for later checking. However, such methods are difficult to view both master and personal images at the same time. Some persons wish to record manners of their children viewing content such as eurythmics. However, children are excessively aware of a camera. It is impossible to view both master and personal images at the same time.
The invention provides an image viewing apparatus, which can relate a master image to a viewer image, and record and reproduce both images in a synchronous mode. By using a recording/play back apparatus such as a television, new applications, such as self-training and growth records of children, can be realized in addition to enlarge usage of entertainments, for example realizing a motion picture album.
While certain embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2009-006803 | Jan 2009 | JP | national |