Sony Corporation

Toshiya Akiba

Masashi Ohta

Masami Tomita

Takao Takahashi

Taro Suito

Toshimichi Hamada

Koichi Chotoku

Katsunari Miyata

Noboru Murabayashi

Naohisa Arai

Hiroshi Kobayashi

Toshiyuki Iijima

Sakae Okazaki

Kazumasa Miyazaki

Tadashi Morishige

Kayo Ishii

Tadashi Yokouchi

By reducing the number of seek operations in an operation to play back a signal from a recording medium, the amount of data temporarily stored in a read buffer memory employed in a signal recording/playback apparatus is large enough to be output as a playback signal during a seek operation, allowing a continuous playback operation to be carried out. In order to reduce the number of seek operations, a signal is always recorded onto the recording medium in continuous free areas each having a size equal to or larger than a predetermined recording/playback time length which is typically set at 1 minute. If it is necessary to insert an additional signal having a length smaller than the predetermined recording/playback time length into a point of insertion in an area already occupied by an existing signal, a continuous free area with a size equal to or larger than the predetermined recording/playback time length is newly allocated to the additional signal. The additional signal is then recorded in the free area instead of being inserted into the point of insertion. Since the free area is larger in size than the length of the additional signal, the rest of the free area is filled up with a portion of the existing signal adjacent to the point of insertion.

Signal reproducing method and apparatus, signal recording/reproducing method and apparatus and signal recording medium

Signal reproducing method & apparatus, signal recording/reproducing method and apparatus and signal recording medium

Signal recording method and apparatus, signal recording / reproducing method and apparatus and signal recording medium

Signal recording method and apparatus, signal recording/reproducing method and appparatus and signal recording medium

Signal recording method & apparatus, signal recording / reproducing method & apparatus and signal recording medium

Recording method and apparatus for continuous playback of fragmented signals

In a signal record/playback apparatus and its method which performs the recording for recording a signal on the recording medium DISK and the playback for playing back the recorded signal from the recording medium DISK at the same time, the recording position and the playback position are set independently and arbitrarily. Record starting position information Pon the recording medium DISK for starting the recording is stored, playback starting position information Pon the recording medium DISK for starting the playback is stored, and the recording based on the record starting position information Pand the playback based on the playback starting position information Pare independently performed, so as to realize a signal record/playback apparatus and its method which can set the record starting position Pand the playback starting position Parbitrarily.

Signal record/playback apparatus and method featuring independent recording and playback processing

To perform non-normal speed reproduction without preventing a user from understanding of the program content. The audio data which has been blocked into blocks of a predetermined time unit is stored in a buffer. Blocks having the level equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value are treated as silence data, and the block numbers are stored in a silence pointer buffer. A read out address generating unit does not read out blocks which is stored in the silence pointer buffer when the read out address buffer reads out audio data blocks from the buffer. The audio data from which silence data blocks have been excluded is subjected to connection processing in a waveform connection processing unit so that noise is not generated. A skip pattern generating unit controls a video data processing unit so that the video data is sent out with skipping some video data corresponding to blocks treated as silence block stored in the silence pointer buffer.

Apparatus and method for reproduction and distribution medium

A video signal recording/reproduction apparatus utilizes time division writing and reading to implement simultaneous recording and reproduction of different video signals to and from a common recording medium. In one operating mode, a first video signal being recorded and a second video signal being reproduced are simultaneously displayed in separate windows on a display. In other operating modes, two or more video signals are simultaneously recorded or reproduced to/from a common recording medium, and simultaneously displayed in separate windows.

Video signal recording/reproduction apparatus and method with multi-picture display

Recording and playback apparatus for continuous playback of fragmented signals

A signal reproducing apparatus is disclosed with which time is not required from a moment at which a user has started a reproducing operation to a moment at which the user is able to actually confirm required information. An audio-and-video-signal reproducing apparatus incorporates a head for recording an audio and video signal recorded on a recording medium; a RAM on which the audio and video signal read by the head is temporarily stored; and a control circuit having a control function for controlling the head to read the audio and video signal recorded on the recording medium and controlling writing of the audio and video signal temporarily stored in the RAM.

Apparatus and method of reproducing audio/video signal from recording medium with reduced or eliminated initial delay

A signal recorder/reproducer comprising an integrated buffer memory having a memory area for a recording system and a memory area for a reproduction system, the allocation of the memory areas being variable, and a system controller to control, via a recording control signal input unit or reproduction control signal input unit , the allocation of the memory areas in the integrated buffer memory depending upon which is designated by the user, a recording or reproduction mode.

Signal recording/reproducing apparatus and method

Images of reproduced video data of plural channels are displayed on main small screens arrayed in a central horizontal row on an index picture. Time-serially anterior images of reproduced video data are displayed on two upper small screens above the main small screens, while time-serially posterior images of reproduced video data are displayed on two lower small screens below the main small screens. In a forward reproduction mode, the images displayed on the respective small screens are altered, with a lapse of time, to the lower adjacent images while being cross faded. And in a reverse reproduction mode, the images are altered, with a lapse of time, to the upper adjacent images while being cross faded. A normal reproducing operation is started from a desired image when the main small screen, where the desired image is being displayed, is selected by means of a cursor. Thus, any image of video data can be indexed efficiently.

Recording/reproducing apparatus and method

A recording apparatus configured to receive analog video and audio signals, digitize and compress the same, and record the compressed audio and video signals on a digital recording medium such as an optical disk. As the audio and video signals are received and recorded, time segments of the audio signals are analyzed for certain features such as whether the time segment corresponds to instrumental music, vocal music or conversational speech. A table of contents is then generated corresponding to the feature analysis and digitally stored on the storage medium. As a result, the recorded audio is characterized over time, e.g., on a frame by frame basis. A high degree of versatility is thereby provided in the playback process, such as the ability to skip portions having certain audio types or to quickly scroll to desired portions of the recorded audio programs. Reproducing apparatuses enable the user to selectively reproduce segments of the recorded audio and video.

Apparatus and method for recording audio/video signal and detected feature information thereof

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Toshiya Akiba