EP0713334A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Real-time image recording/producing method and apparatus and video library system
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1995-11-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-11-16
Abstract
Abstract The real-time image recording/reproducing apparatus of this invention includes: image input means (2) for receiving an image signal; compression means (4) for compressing the image signal so as to produce compressed data; storing means (3) for storing the compressed data; control means (1) for judging whether or not a sufficient empty space required for storing the compressed data exists in the storing means (3), and storing the compressed data in the storing means (3) if a sufficient empty space exists, or allocating a required empty space by releasing oldest data among the compressed data stored in the storing means (3) and storing the compressed data in the allocated empty space if a sufficient empty space does not exist; instruction input means (5) for receiving replay instruction; expansion means (4) for expanding the compressed data stored in the storing means (3) in response to the replay instruction input from the instruction input means (5) so as to produce image data; and output means (6-8) for outputting the image data.
Inventors
- 👤 Hirotoshi Uehara
- 👤 Shuuhei Taniguchi
- 👤 Takanari Kadowaki
- 👤 Norio Aoki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 20:51
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/4448; G; G11; G11B; G11B27/00; G11B27/002; G11B27/02; G11B27/031; G11B27/032; G11B27/10; G11B27/102; G11B27/107; G11B27/11; G11B27/34; H04N19/00; H04N19/10; H04N19/134; H04N19/146; H04N19/152; H04N19/60; H04N19/63; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4316; H04N21/432; H04N21/4325; H04N21/433; H04N21/4334; H04N21/4335; H04N21/47; H04N21/482; H04N21/4821; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/8146; H04N21/8153; H04N5/76; H04N5/907; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17336; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/20; G11B2220/40; G11B2220/41; G11B2220/60; G11B2220/65; G11B2220/90; G11B27/36; H04N19/102; H04N19/115; H04N19/50; H04N5/445; H04N5/45
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
154 words
A real-time image recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: image input means for receiving an image signal; compression means for compressing the image signal so as to produce compressed data; storing means for storing the compressed data; control means for judging whether or not a sufficient empty space required for storing the compressed data exists in the storing means, and storing the compressed data in the storing means if a sufficient empty space exists, or allocating a required empty space by releasing oldest data among the compressed data stored in the storing means and storing the compressed data in the allocated empty space if a sufficient empty space does not exist; instruction input means for receiving a replay instruction; expansion means for expanding the compressed data stored in the storing means in response to the replay instruction input from the instruction input means so as to produce image data; and output means for outputting the image data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
A real-time image recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: image input means for receiving an image signal; compression means for compressing the image signal so as to produce compressed data; storing means for storing the compressed data, including a plurality of blocks having the same size connected with each other in a ring manner; control means for judging whether or not a sufficient number of empty blocks required for storing the compressed data exist in the storing means, and storing the compressed data in the storing means if a sufficient number of empty blocks exist, or allocating a required number of empty blocks by releasing oldest data among the compressed data stored in the storing means and storing the compressed data in the allocated empty blocks if a sufficient number of empty blocks does not exist; instruction input means for receiving a replay instruction; expansion means for expanding the compressed data stored in the storing means in response to the replay instruction input from the instruction input means so as to produce image data; and output means for outputting the image data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compression means transforms the image signal into a plurality of coefficient data representing different frequency bands such as sub-band coding, quantizing each of the frequency bands, and variable-length coding the quantized coefficient data, and the compression means further comprises rate control means for deleting the variable-length coded data in the order of higher frequency components to lower frequency components so as to limit the amount of the compressed data to be equal to or less than a predetermined value.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising image synthesization means for synthesizing the image data output from the output means and the image signals input from the image input means, to be displayed together, wherein the brightness level of the image signals is lower than the brightness level of the image data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means halts the storing of the compressed data in the storing means in response to the replay instruction, and re-starts the storing of the compressed data in the storing means automatically in the case where the duration from the input of the replay instruction until the input of next replay instruction exceeds a predetermined time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compression means compresses at least one field or frame of image data so as to have higher image quality in response to the replay instruction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compression means calculates a compression error value for each field or frame, selects one compressed data at a predetermined field or frame interval based on the compression error value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compression means calculates a size of data after compression for each field or frame, selects one compressed data at a predetermined field or frame interval based on the size of data after compression.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
140 words
A real-time image recording/reproducing method for an apparatus including storing means for storing data, the method comprising the steps of: a) inputting a image signal; b) compressing the image signal so as to produce compressed data; c) judging whether or not a sufficient empty space required for storing the compressed data exists in the storing means, and storing the compressed data in the storing means if a sufficient empty space exists, or allocating a required empty space by releasing oldest data among the compressed data stored in the storing means and storing the compressed data in the allocated empty space if a sufficient empty space does not exist; d) inputting replay instruction; e) expanding the compressed data stored in the storing means in response to the replay instruction so as to produce image data; and f) outputting the image data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
168 words
A real-time image recording/reproducing method for an apparatus including storing means for storing data, the storing means including a plurality of blocks having the same size connected with each other in a ring manner, the method comprising the steps of: a) inputting a image signal; b) compressing the image signal so as to produce compressed data; c) judging whether or not a sufficient number of empty blocks required for storing the compressed data exist in the storing means, and storing the compressed data in the storing means if a sufficient number of empty blocks exist, or allocating a required number of empty blocks by releasing oldest data among the compressed data stored in the storing means and storing the compressed data in the allocated empty blocks if a sufficient number of empty blocks does not exist; d) inputting replay instruction; e) expanding the compressed data stored in the storing means in response to the replay instruction so as to produce image data; and f) outputting the image data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein the step b) comprises the steps of: transforming the image signal into a plurality of coefficient data representing different frequency bands; quantizing each of the frequency bands such as sub-band coding; variable-length coding the quantized coefficient data; and deleting the variable-length coded data in the order of higher frequency components to lower frequency components so as to limit the amount of the compressed data to be equal to or less than a predetermined value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of synthesizing the image data and the image signal to be displayed together, wherein the brightness level of the image signal is lower than the brightness level of the image data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein the step c) comprises the steps of: halting the storing of the compressed data in the storing means in response to the replay instruction, and re-starting the storing of the compressed data in the storing means automatically in the case where the duration from the input of the replay instruction until the input of next replay instruction exceeds a predetermined time.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein in the step b) at least one field or frame of image data is compressed so as to have higher image quality in response to the replay instruction.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein the step b) comprises the steps of: calculating a compression error value for each field or frame; selecting one compressed data at a predetermined field or frame interval based on the compression error value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein the step b) comprises the steps of: calculating a size of data after compression for each field or frame; selecting one compressed data at a predetermined field or frame interval based on the size of data after compression.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
147 words
An image library system having a member in which a recording medium is inserted, comprising: identification means for outputting identification information identifying the recording medium inserted in the member; image input means for receiving an image signal; compression means for compressing the image signal at a predetermined interval so as to produce a plurality of compressed data; storing means for storing the plurality of compressed data; association means for associating the identification information of the recording medium with each of the plurality of compressed data stored in the storing means; instruction input means for receiving replay instruction; expansion means for expanding each of the plurality of compressed data associated with the recording medium in response to the replay instruction input from the instruction input means, so as to produce a plurality of image data; and display means for displaying the plurality of image data as a list.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined interval is determined based on a relative position of the recording medium to a recording start position.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined interval is determined based on an absolute position of the recording medium.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 17, wherein the storing means and the association means are disposed in the recording medium.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
JPS5765076A
Cited
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