Sony Corporation

Tsuyoshi Oda

Toshiaki Setogawa

Ayato Nakagawa

Masao Sasaki

Nobuyuki Takasu

Motoki Kato

Kentaro Tanaka

Katsumi Tahara

Takashi Kojima

Kazunori Yasuda

Satoshi Miyazawa

Kouichi Uchide

This invention employs a scheme to allow an input video signal to undergo encoding, e.g., predictive encoding, DCT processing, quantization at fixed quantization step size and variable length encoding to generate first encoded data to determine (calculate) allocated code quantity every frame or every GOP on the basis of data quantity every predetermined time, e.g., every frame or every GOP of the first encoded data and total quantity of usable data to encode the input video signal every predetermined time on the basis of the allocated code quantity to generate second encoded data. Thus, variable rate encoding such that encoding rate changes every predetermined time is realized. As a result, even if pictures (frames) of complicated are successive, there is no possibility that quantization step size is caused to be large with respect to these pictures as in the conventional apparatus. Thus, uniform high picture quality can be obtained through the entirety. Further, since second encoded data obtained in a manner as described above has variable rate, in the case where such encoded data is recorded onto picture recording media, limited memory capacity can be effectively used, and recording time of picture recording media can be prolonged. In addition, picture data of high picture quality uniform over the entirety can be reproduced from the picture recording media.

Picture encoding method, picture encoding apparatus and picture recording medium

This invention employs a scheme to allow an input video signal to undergo encoding, e.g., predictive encoding, DCT processing quantization at fixed quantization step size and variable length encoding to generate first encoded data to determine (calculate) allocated code quantity every frame or every GOP on the basis of data quantity every predetermined time, e.g., every frame or every GOP of the first encoded data and total quantity of usable data to encode the input video signal every predetermined time on the basis of the allocated code quantity to generate second encoded data. Thus, variable rate encoding such that encoding rate changes every predetermined time is realized. As a result, even if pictures (frames) of complicated are successive, there is no possibility that quantization step size is caused to be large with respect to these pictures as in the conventional apparatus. Thus, uniform high picture quality can be obtained through the entirety. Further, since second encoded data obtained in a manner as described above has variable rate, in the case where such encoded data is recorded onto picture recording media, limited memory capacity can be effectively used, and recording time of picture recording media can be prolonged. In addition, picture data of high picture quality uniform over the entirety can be reproduced from the picture recording media.

A recording medium retaining data for menu control, a menu control method and an apparatus are provided for creating a menu highly expressive and attractive to the viewer. When operation of a menu button is determined on a menu created with a moving picture with sound, the menu button turns into action highlighting and the color of the button changes into a highlight color. In order to emphasize action highlighting of the menu button, a specific short moving picture with a sound is automatically replayed. After the replay of the moving picture, the display jumps to a chapter of a title selected with the menu button and a replay is started.

Recording medium retaining data for menu control, menu control method and apparatus

In an editing apparatus, the work efficiency can be improved comparing to a conventional apparatus. Storage means () having a plurality of input ports and at least one output port; and control means () for controlling the recording areas of the storage means, in which the different recording area is respectively assigned to each of a plurality of encoding means (to) as a recording area in which the encoded data is stored, the recording area in which the encoded data has been stored is assigned to the multiplexing unit (), and the recording area which is different from that of the encoded data is assigned as the recording area in which the multiplexed data is stored are provided, so that the storage means can be commonly used both in the encoding means and the multiplexing means. Thereby, the data transfer between encoding means and the multiplexing means does not performed. Therefore, the editing apparatus () which improves the work efficiency comparing to the convention apparatus can be realized.

Editing apparatus and data editing method

A data recording medium and a data replay apparatus are provided for allowing an automatic return to a menu at the completion point of a replay of one content and allowing an arbitrary jump to the next or previous content during a replay of one content. An entire disk of DVD for a musical product such as karaoke is made up of a single program chain (PGC) and tunes are divided into cells. An instruction to jump to a tune selection menu is written in a cell command (cell CMD) of each cell. On completion of a normal replay of a tune, the cell command is executed and the operation jumps to the tune selection menu.

Data recording medium and data replay apparatus

An apparatus, system, and method for compressing and coding audio and/or video data by the MPEG2 system or the like, multiplexing the same, and transmitting the resultant data via a digital line. When generating a transport stream for transmitting a PES packet of the MPEG2 system, the amounts of the compressed video data and the compressed audio data are defined as whole multiples of the amount of the transport packet (188 bytes) of the MPEG2 system, thereby to bring the boundary of the frame cycle of the audio and/or video data and the boundary of the transport packet into coincidence. Where the amount of data is arbitrary, calculation etc. of the offset value which becomes necessary at the scheduling is made unnecessary.

Audio and video data transmitting apparatus, system, and method thereof

A picture encoding method employed in a system for encoding video signals of a motion picture for storage on a picture recording medium or in a system employed for transmitting video signals of a moving picture over a transmission channel. The encoding method includes a first step of generating the information on picture characteristics at least including the luminance information of the input video signals in terms of a pre-set time interval as a unit, a second step of calculating the information on the amount of generated bits of the information on picture characteristics in terms of a pre-set time interval as a unit, a third step of determining an encoding bit rate, based upon the information on picture characteristics, the information on the amount of the generated bits and the information on the total amount of data usable during transmission of encoded data, in terms of the pre-set time interval as a unit, and a fourth step of encoding the input video signals in accordance with the encoding bit rate in terms of the pre-set time as a unit for generating the encoded data.

Method for encoding video signal using statistical information

An authoring system according to the present invention is constituted so that when an audio signal and a video signal are encoded by an encoder and converted to one system of serial data, operation can be smoothly executed by simple constitution, compared with heretofore and the progress of processing in each device can be grasped. A condition set by a user is stored in a file and the file is shared among the encoder and others.

Authoring system and the method

A method and apparatus for encoding moving picture signals. A plurality of encoding picture groups, each consisting of a pre-set number of encoding pictures freed of redundant pictures from a plurality of original pictures represented by the input moving picture signals, are formed, and the number of original pictures used for forming the encoding picture groups and the group-based target bit amount are calculated. The moving picture signals of the encoding pictures are encoded from one picture group to another based upon the target bit amount. Even if the encoding picture rate is changed from one picture group to another, the target bit amount can be adaptively controlled with these changes in the encoding picture rate. Consequently, there is no risk of the output bit rate significantly surpassing the target value. In addition, there is no risk of the total bit amount in the bit stream exceeding the target amount to render it impossible to record the bit stream on a desired moving picture signal recording medium.

Method and apparatus for encoding moving picture signals and recording

Picture encoding method, picture encoding apparatus and picture

Apparatus for detecting a motion vector and encoding picture signals. Where a motion vector is obtained by block matching employing a luminance pattern obtained by eliminating dc components from a luminance signal of a picture, and thus containing only ac components, is compared to a motion vector obtained by block matching employing a luminance signal of a picture. An optimum motion vector obtained based upon the result of comparison is employed as a true motion vector for variable length encoding the picture signal. In this manner, a correct motion vector may be detected and employed for variable length coding even in cases where the average luminance of the picture on the screen is varied significantly.

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Chiba, Japan

Tsuyoshi Oda