Method and apparatus for recording and playing back continuous-play video signals together with stop-motion video and audio signals

Claim 3

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein: the stop-motion audio signal is an analog signal; and the method further includes a preliminary step of converting the. analog stop-motion audio signal to a corresponding digital stop-motion audio signal before being combined with the video signal in the step of combining.

Claim 4

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein: the method further includes a preliminary step of modulating an audio subcarrier signal in accordance with the stop-motion audio signal; and the step of combining includes a step of summing together the modulated audio subcarrier signal and the video signal, to form the composite signal.

Claim 5

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein: the record medium is a video disc, and signals are recorded in the disc in a succession of substantially circular and concentric recording tracks, each track recording a portion of the video signal representing a single video frame; the composite signal, representing the continuous-play video frames and the stop-motion audio signal, is recorded on a prescribed plurality of recording tracks; and the video signal representing the stop-motion video frame is recorded on a prescribed recording track following the tracks recording the composite signal.

Claim 6

A method as defined in claim 4, wherein: the method records a plurality of stop-motion audio signals and a plurality of corresponding stop-motion video frames; and each stop-motion video frame is recorded on a prescribed, separate recording track, and the portion of the composite signal including the corresponding stop-motion audio signal is recorded on a prescribed plurality of recording tracks preceding the prescribed track for recording the video frame.

Claim 7

Apparatus for recording a video signal and a stop-motion audio signal on a record medium, the video signal representing a plurality of continuous-play video frames and a stop-motion video frame, the recorded medium being suitable for stop-motion playback of the stop-motion video frame, while accompanied by playback of the stop-motion audio signal, the apparatus comprising: means for combining the stop-motion audio signal and the portion of the video signal representing the continuous-play video frames, to form a composite signal; means for recording the composite signal on a first portion of the record medium; and means for recording the portion of the video signal representing the stop-motion video frame on a second portion of the record medium; whereby apparatus for playing the recorded medium can first scan the first portion of the medium, to recover and store the recorded stop-motion audio signal, and then scan repeatedly the second portion of the medium, to recover and display the stop-motion video frame in a stop-motion fashion, while simultaneously playing back the stored stop-motion audio signal.

Claim 8

Apparatus for recording a video signal and a stop-motion audio signal on a record medium, the video signal representing a plurality of continuous-play video frames and a stop-motion video frame, the recorded medium being suitable for stop-motion playback of the stop-motion video frame, while accompanied by playback of the stop-motion audio signal, the apparatus comprising: means for combining the stop-motion audio signal and the portion of the video signal representing the continuous-play video frames, to form a composite signal; means for recording the composite signal on a first portion of the record medium; and means for recording the portion of the video signal representing the stop-motion video frame on a second portion of the record medium; whereby apparatus for playing the recorded medium can first scan the first portion of the medium, to recover and store the recorded stop-motion audio signal, and then scan repeatedly the second portion of the medium, to recover and display the stop-motion video frame in a stop-motion fashion, while simultaneously playing back the stored stop-motion audio signal.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein: the stop-motion audio signal is an analog signal; and the apparatus further includes means for converting the analog stop-motion audio signal to a corresponding digital stop-motion audio signal before being combined with the video signal by the means for combining.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein: the apparatus further includes means for modulating an audio subcarrier signal in accordance with the stop-motion audio signal; and the means for combining sums together the modulated audio subcarrier signal and the video signal, to form the composite signal.

Claim 11

Apparatus for recording a video signal and a stop-motion audio signal on a record medium, the video signal representing a plurality of continuous-play video frames and a stop-motion video frame, the recorded medium being suitable for stop-motion playback of the stop-motion video frame, while accompanied by playback of the stop-motion audio signal, the apparatus comprising: means for converting the stop-motion audio signal into a corresponding digital audio signal; a digital memory; means for entering the digital audio signal into the memory at a first rate; means for extracting the digital audio signal from the memory at a second rate, the second rate being higher than the first rate, to produce a time-compressed digital audio signal; modulator means for modulating an audio subcarrier in accordance with the time-compressed audio signal; summing means for summing together the modulated audio subcarrier and the portion of the video signal representing the continuous-play video frames, to form a composite signal; means for recording the composite signal on a first portion of the record medium; and means for recording the portion of the video signal representing the stop-motion video frame on a second portion of the record medium; whereby apparatus for playing the recorded medium can first scan the first portion of the medium, to recover and store the recorded audio signal, and then scan repeatedly the second portion of the medium, to recover and display the stop-motion video frame in a stop-motion fashion, while simultaneously playing back the stored stop-motion audio signal.

Claim 12

Apparatus for recording a video signal and a stop-motion audio signal on a record medium, the video signal representing a plurality of continuous-play video frames and a stop-motion video frame, the recorded medium being suitable for stop-motion playback of the stop-motion video frame, while accompanied by playback of the stop-motion audio signal, the apparatus comprising: means for converting the stop-motion audio signal into a corresponding digital audio signal; a digital memory; means for entering the digital audio signal into the memory at a first rate; means for extracting the digital audio signal from the memory at a second rate, the second rate being higher than the first rate, to produce a time-compressed digital audio signal; modulator means for modulating an audio subcarrier in accordance with the time-compressed audio signal; summing means for summing together the modulated audio subcarrier and the portion of the video signal representing the continuous-play video frames, to form a composite signal; means for recording the composite signal on a first portion of the record medium; and means for recording the portion of the video signal representing the stop-motion video frame on a second portion of the record medium; whereby apparatus for playing the recorded medium can first scan the first portion of the medium, to recover and store the recorded audio signal, and then scan repeatedly the second portion of the medium, to recover and display the stop-motion video frame in a stop-motion fashion, while simultaneously playing back the stored stop-motion audio signal.

Claim 15

A method as defined in claim 10, wherein: the stop-motion audio signal recorded on the record medium is a digital signal; and the method further includes a step of converting the separated audio signal to a corresponding analog signal, for playback simultaneous with the display of the stop-motion video signal.

Claim 16

A method as defined in claim 10, wherein: a plurality of stop-motion audio signals and corresponding stop-motion video signals are recorded on the record medium; and the recited method steps are repeated for each pair of stop-motion signals.

Claim 17

Apparatus for playing back a signal recorded on a record medium, wherein a first portion of the medium records a composite signal that includes a continuous-play video signal and a stop-motion audio signal, and a second portion of the medium records a stop-motion video signal, the apparatus comprising: means for recovering the composite signal from the first portion of the record medium; means for separating the continuous-play video signal from the recovered composite signal, and for displaying the separated video signal on a video monitor; means for separating the stop-motion audio signal from the recovered composite signal; memory means for storing the separated audio signal; means for recovering the stop-motion video signal from the second portion of the record medium, and for displaying it in a repeated fashion on the video monitor, while simultaneously playing back the stored audio signal.

Claim 18

Apparatus for playing back a signal recorded on a record medium, wherein a first portion of the medium records a composite signal that includes a continuous-play video signal and a stop-motion audio signal, and a second portion of the medium records a stop-motion video signal, the apparatus comprising: means for recovering the composite signal from the first portion of the record medium; means for separating the continuous-play video signal from the recovered composite signal, and for displaying the separated video signal on a video monitor; means for separating the stop-motion audio signal from the recovered composite signal; memory means for storing the separated audio signal; means for recovering the stop-motion video signal from the second portion of the record medium, and for displaying it in a repeated fashion on the video monitor, while simultaneously playing back the stored audio signal.

Claim 19

Apparatus for playing back a signal recorded on a record medium, wherein a first portion of the medium records a composite signal that includes a continuous-play video signal and a time-compressed, digital stop-motion audio signal, and a second portion of the medium records a stop-motion video signal, the apparatus comprising: means for recovering the composite signal from the first portion of the record medium; means for separating the continuous-play video signal from the recovered composite signal, and for displaying the separated video signal on a video monitor; means for separating the time-compressed, digital audio signal from the recovered composite signal; memory means; means for entering the time-compressed, digital audio signal into the memory means at a first, relatively low rate; means for extracting the digital audio signal from the memory means at a second, relatively high rate, whereby the audio signal is returned to its normal play speed; means for converting the digital audio signal extracted from the memory means to a corresponding analog audio signal; and means for recovering the stop-motion video signal from the second portion of the record medium, and for displaying it in a repeated fashion on the video monitor simultaneously playing back the analog audio signal.

Claim 20

Apparatus for playing back a signal recorded on a record medium, wherein a first portion of the medium records a composite signal that includes a continuous-play video signal and a time-compressed, digital stop-motion audio signal, and a second portion of the medium records a stop-motion video signal, the apparatus comprising: means for recovering the composite signal from the first portion of the record medium; means for separating the continuous-play video signal from the recovered composite signal, and for displaying the separated video signal on a video monitor; means for separating the time-compressed, digital audio signal from the recovered composite signal; memory means; means for entering the time-compressed, digital audio signal into the memory means at a first, relatively low rate; means for extracting the digital audio signal from the memory means at a second, relatively high rate, whereby the audio signal is returned to its normal play speed; means for converting the digital audio signal extracted from the memory means to a corresponding analog audio signal; and means for recovering the stop-motion video signal from the second portion of the record medium, and for displaying it in a repeated fashion on the video monitor simultaneously playing back the analog audio signal.